By BRIDGET COOK
JUNCTION Village residents have been warned to be wary of snakes in the area with up to eight sightings reported in recent weeks.
A local resident contacted the News this week after she said she found a brown snake, about a metre and a half long, in her front yard last week.
She said her neighbour also reported seeing a snake about two weeks ago in the small suburb.
City of Casey mayor Geoff Ablett said at Tuesday night’s council meeting that he has heard of six snake sightings near the Junction Village shopping strip throughout summer.
The Junction Village resident, who did not want to be named, said she wanted to warn the community about the high number of sightings.
“It’s a suburban area and not rural, so people should know that there are still snakes around,” she said.
“There are so many dogs and little children in the suburb, so people need to keep an eye out and be careful.
“Brown snakes are quite deadly and the one at my house was monstrous.
“With this terrible dry and hot weather, there is going to be snakes around.”
Residents have been encouraged to modify the area to make it less attractive to mice and frogs because they attract snakes.
In Victoria, nearly all snakes longer than about 40 centimetres, south of the Great Dividing Range, are likely to be toxic to humans.
Anyone who sees a snake near their house should keep an eye on it to see where it goes, then call a licensed snake catcher.
Call the Department of Sustainability and Environment on 136 186 to find out the nearest licensed snake catchers.
