Tableland Snake Catchers

12/02/2026

If you're cleaning up outside or in your shed after the wet weather, please be aware of wildlife, including snakes. Snake often seek refuge under things where they feel secure. This is a sub adult Red Bellied Black Snake,Pseudechis porphyriacus that was hunting for frogs, and hiding out under some children's toys.

11/02/2026

Quite possibly the classiest table lamp we've seen, from a call out the other night. That's right, it's a set of legs as a lamp, and oh there's a Brown Tree Snake there too.

08/02/2026

Recently, we have received several messages questioning why we charge for our snake catching or our services. While we understand that this can be an unexpected expense, we believe it is important to clearly explain why professional snake catching is a paid service.

Why do snake catchers charge fees?

1. This is our full-time profession. Snake catching is our primary occupation, requiring us to be on call 24 hours a day, 7 days a week so during nights, weekends, and public holidays. A few times our team has missed Christmas lunch/dinner with the rest of family as they were out catching snakes, keeping the animals and humans safe.

2. Our service is not government funded in Queensland. Tableland Snake Catchers operates as a privately owned small business, not a publicly funded or council-run service.This will not change ever. The Department of Environment, Technology, Science and Innovation struggles to fund education and awareness towards snakes let alone funding a snake catching service. Queensland Government doesn't fund services to privately owned properties.

3. 24/7 availability requires significant personal sacrifice. Being constantly on call impacts sleep, family time, and personal commitments, yet prompt response times remain essential for public safety.

4. Licensing and compliance are mandatory. Queensland Snake Catchers must hold government-issued permits, which require training, experience, and ongoing compliance with strict regulations.

5. Operating costs are substantial. These include insurance, WorkCover, wages, superannuation, GST, taxes, administration, accounting, advertising, computing and IT and telecommunications.

6. Vehicle and fuel expenses are unavoidable. Fuel, servicing, maintenance, registration, and insurance are significant costs, especially when travelling daily across the large areas of the Atherton Tablelands.

7. Staff Uniforms and protect clothing/equipment/tools. Constantly updating tools and equipment plus new uniforms for the team. Equipment/tools we carry include multiple snake bags( as only one snake is placed in one bag, for safety, and the bags is only used for that snake and then needs to be washed and disinfected) and hooks, ladders, drills, crowbars, digging tools, torches, inspection cameras etc.

8. Public education and engagement. Time and resources are invested in creating educational and safety-focused content, responding to community questions, and providing accurate information through social media. As a company we respond 5-10 times per day across our social media channels and various community pages, which gives us the best chance of educating the public and creating positive awareness around snakes. We also give free public education talks to schools and community groups.

9. It is a professional service. Like any skilled trade or emergency response service, professional expertise, availability, and risk management must be financially supported.

10. Free ID and rescue services are still provided. We offer free advice, snake identification, and assistance, as well as rescuing injured snakes at no cost every single day, and assist Tablelands Wildlife Rescue Australia a, Tropical Vets Atherton, Tableland Veterinary Service, and a number of other wildlife care groups. We can receive up to 15-20 enquiries a day during summer, where people are after free advice or snake identification. With social media a number of these are not from local sources.

11. High-risk work requires specialised skill. Catching and relocating venomous snakes from complex situations involves significant risk and expertise that few people are qualified to perform safely. Unfortunately, some individuals believe that they have done a one or two day course and this makes them competent, yet their behaviour, risk assessment and identification skills leave a lot to be desired.

We understand that snake removals are not something most people plan or budget for. For this reason, we do our best to be flexible – sometimes offering payment plans, making reasonable exceptions, and assisting where we can. However, charging fees ensures that our trained, licensed catchers can continue providing a safe, reliable, and professional service to the community.

I hope this clearly explains our position. For those people who live in a different world. All wildlife in Queensland is protected under the Nature Conservation Regulation. Deliberately handling, harassing, harming or killing any wildlife is illegal and has been for 40 years. Snake catchers require a current Damage mitigation Permit issued by the Department of Environment, Technology Science and Innovation. If you don't have that permit, you're breaking the law. There is no excuse to be so scared by an animal that you need to put yourself or your family at risk by trying to kill it. Interfering with the snake is how many serious bites occur, and given you are 200 times more likely to die in a car accident in Queensland then from a snake bite, don't risk it.
Regards Tableland Snake Catchers.

20/01/2026

Another of the wet season hunters is the Rough Scaled snake, Tropidechis carinatus, a dangerously venomous species. This one was photographed by Alan Sweet in October 2025, near Atherton. Rough Scaled snakes are normally found in the wetter, rainforest areas of the Atherton Tablelands, but also in wet Eucalypt forest near eater. One also features on our page title. They are most commonly seen at night, and being relatively small, at 70 cm they can be overlooked. They hunt frogs, skinks, birds and small mammals; either on the ground or in low vegetation. They have a reputation for being easily aroused, and are quick to become defensive, and strike repeatedly. Rough Scaled snakes have keeled scales, and are often confused with the non venomous Keel Back, Tropidonophis mairii.

18/01/2026

With the wet season in full swing there are heaps of puddles and lots of frogs out and active. While the frogs are active, frog eaters are busy making the best of it. This beautiful Red Bellied Black Snake, Pseudechis porphyriacus was doing just that when it was disturbed. In the video you can see movement in the water from it's heart beat and breathing.
Always be aware when you are working or Playing outdoors that other wildlife may be there just living it's best life.

09/01/2026

Just the sweetest thing! Thank you Jessica for sharing your photo of this little family from this week. Our followers may recall Back in September of 2025, there were multiple sightings of an Adult pair of Cassowaries on Sluice Creek road. They are now proud parents, so let's be a bit careful when using this road.

04/01/2026

Just sharing this as a positive idea to deter Wildlife from the roof. Using modern technology and innovation to provide wildlife damage mitigation can go a long way to resolve urban wildlife conflicts.

02/12/2025

During the warmer months most snakes like these Carpet Pythons and this Amethystine Python are busy hunting. They will follow the scent trails of rodents or other prey animals into some interesting places. It's important to make sure that we take a proactive approach to limiting food sources and hiding places for rodents.

08/10/2025

It's great to be featured by The Express Newspaper this week as we move into Spring. With the normal increase in snake activity at this time of year, we want people to be aware of these beautiful creatures and be prepared incase a chance encounter goes wrong. Thankyou to Konnor and Darryl from The Express newspaper for making it possible.

This week’s edition of The Express Newspaper is now available for online viewing.👏

Please follow this link www.theexpressnewspaper.com.au/online-edition

08/10/2025

It's always our goal to raise understanding and awareness of our local wildlife and for us especially our snake species. It's always interesting for us to see the difference in responses between photos of Venomous species, like this Eastern Brown Snake, Pseudonaja textilis, being defensive and harmless species like Carpet Pythons, Morelia spilota cheynei . Thanks to Konnor and Darryl from The Express newspaper for their hard work.

SOME of the deadliest snakes in the country are found in our region and with an increase in activity due to the return of the warm weather, it is important to stay snake safe.

04/10/2025

Thanks to Amanda Arbuckle for this video. This is an Adult Coastal Taipan, Oxyuranus scutellatus, a dangerously venomous species. This large adult was hunting through a passionfruit patch, it's a great piece of informative video showing the snake tongue flicking and head bobbing as it follows a scent trail. The way these snake move with their head raised above the ground is a key distinguishing behaviour. It once earnt them the name " Traveller Browns", before they were recognised as something quite different!

04/10/2025

Adult Eastern Brown Snakes, Pseudonaja textilis, are fast, active daytime hunters. On the Atherton Tablelands a large part of their diet is rats and mice. They hunt in a range of habitats, and are quite common in farming areas, cropped fields and open forest. In open grassland and paddocks they make use of the Burrows of their prey for shelter. Recently I observed the snake in the second photo using a rabbit warren as a shelter site. The Warren appeared to have been used by the rabbits until a day or two before. No doubt they moved out when the Brown Snake moved in.