A man described feeling “the shudders” as more than 100 venomous red-bellied black snakes were removed from a pile of mulch in his Sydney backyard
Sydney Man Discovers Over 100 Venomous Snakes in Backyard Mulch
MELBOURNE, Australia (AP) — A Sydney homeowner described feeling “the shudders” after more than 100 venomous red-bellied black snakes were removed from a pile of mulch in his backyard.
David Stein called Reptile Relocation Sydney last week after spotting around six snakes slithering into the mulch. A quick internet search revealed that gravid (pregnant) red-bellied black snakes often gather in groups before giving birth.
Snake catcher Dylan Cooper arrived that afternoon, and with Stein’s help raking away the mulch, he bagged a total of 102 snakes—both pregnant adults and newborns.
“Just seeing that many in one place gives you a bit of the shudders,” Stein admitted on Friday.
A Record-Breaking Snake Removal
According to Reptile Relocation Sydney owner Cory Kerewaro, two of the captured adults gave birth to 29 snakes inside the bag while Cooper was still catching more in the mulch.
The final count: five adults and 97 offspring.
Experts remain uncertain why so many snakes gave birth in such a short time frame on Stein’s 1.4-hectare (3.5-acre) property in Horsley Park, a western Sydney suburb.
Kerewaro noted that while large hauls of non-venomous carpet pythons—up to 30—have been reported, this was an unprecedented number of venomous snakes found in one place.
Why So Many Snakes?
Snake expert Scott Eipper, who has authored books on Australian reptiles, speculated that gravid red-belly blacks might cluster together due to safety concerns or a lack of suitable birthing habitats.
Eipper also suggested that Sydney’s extreme summer heat could have triggered mass birthing.
“This is an isolated incident. It’s certainly a very rare occurrence,” he said.
Red-bellied black snakes typically have litters of 4 to 35 young, meaning some of the babies found may have already been abandoned by their mothers.
Where Did the Snakes Go?
Since red-bellied black snakes are a protected species, Kerewaro had to wait for government approval to relocate them. A week later, officials permitted their release into a national park.
“Because the number was so large, people were understandably concerned about where 100 snakes were going,” Kerewaro said.
He reassured the public that the snakes would be released deep in the wilderness, far from human settlements.
Past Snake Encounters
Stein’s property had a previous run-in with the species. In December, his 2-year-old Jack Russell terrier, Belle, killed a juvenile red-bellied black snake but was bitten in the process. She survived after spending four days in an animal hospital and receiving multiple doses of antivenom.
Concerned about another invasion, Stein plans to remove the mulch pile immediately.
“I’ve been told they could come back to give birth next year,” he said. “Within the next couple of days, this big pile of mulch will be gone.”