By Abbey Cannan
As snake breeding season approaches, Noosa snake catcher Luke Huntley reminds the community of exactly what to watch out for.
Luke said snake breeding season is roughly between September and November, where male snakes will travel great distances to find the females.
“They often merge at the same time and then fight over the female for the right to mate with her,“ he said.
“These boys entwine around each other and try to knock the other boy’s head down as they twist and thrash at each other.“
Luke said it can look very rough and the complete opposite to mating.
“So when you see snakes entwined around each other, they could be mating or fighting,“ he said.
“Fighting is fast and often looks pretty violent as you might expect. Snakes mating is very slow and gentle.
“The male and female snake entwine around each other and gently roll around and it looks like they are pulsing.
“The two behaviours are very different and once you know the difference, it’s very hard not to know which is which.“
Luke said when you see male snakes having a fight, the female is often close nearby.
“I get a lot of calls for noises of banging and thumping in the roof leading into breeding season,“ he said.
“This is most often boys smashing around fighting over a girl in your roof. So, if you’ve got a female python up there, some snakes will form mating balls.“
Luke said mating balls were formed when a bunch of males attempt to mate with one female.
“Tree snakes and Keelbacks are an example of this. But for most species it’s the fight for the right to mate,“ he said.
“So the snakes are coming out again and I’ll be very busy soon, so keep an eye out. I’m available 24/7, if you need me, call 0499 920 290.“
