A Displaced Snake Story From Australia

 The flooding in Australia has produced numerous stories about displaced snakes. Here is just one from the Gympie Times (a Queensland News outlet).

Snakes Look For new Food Supply
Carly Morrissey,  20th January 2011

For Gympie snake catcher John Keady all the recent flooding rain means snakes, snakes and more snakes.
“I’ve been flat out like a lizard drinking,” Mr Keady said this week. “There’s snakes coming out of our ears, they’re very, very active.”Flooding in Gympie meant snakes headed for higher ground and now that waters have receded there are a lot of displaced snakes in unfamiliar territory. The worst part, Mr Keady said, is the flood has moved or killed the snakes’ normal food supply. He said rats and mice have been drowned or moved to higher ground and in the next few days there will be a “pile” of snakes all out looking for food, following their scent. Passionate about snakes and all animals Mr Keady is just thankful that people call him to relocate the snakes. “At least we can be there to save them,” Mr Keady said. He has been around the region with his son catching and relocating snakes to the bush during the last week. Recently the pair has caught snakes in Gympie, on the Southside, in the Forestry complex, at Cedar Pocket, Tewantin and Noosa.
Yesterday Mr Keady was called to catch a carpet snake at Nambour. He had also caught a green tree snake, red belly black snake and a brown snake. “I’ve had 12 calls this morning (Wednesday).” He said the majority of calls were for snakes that had found their way into homes to try and stay dry during the rain and flood.
Some of their natural homes would have been flooded and other food sources would have been killed. This has led to some close calls with people and a busy time for Mr Keady. But the snake trainer said it wasn’t just snakes that have been displaced due to flooding. He had been receiving calls about possums taking up residence in people’s homes and sheds.

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