CHALON LEE HAS BEEN BITTEN BY SNAKES TWICE BUT NOTHING CAN DETER HER FROM THE EXHILARATION SHE FEELS WHEN HANDLING AND DEALING WITH HER SLIPPERY REPTILIAN COUNTERPARTS.
“I grew up on the east coast of the USA where snakes, mainly non-venomous varieties, were prolific in the woods, and I caught them all the time. I then had a pet python while living in Africa for 12 years and I also caught snakes whenever possible while living in Eastern Europe,” said Chalon, who has passed on her enthusiasm for reptiles to best friend Judy Moore.
Now living at GemLife Bribie Island over-50s lifestyle resort, Chalon and Judy have taken their interest in snakes to a new level.
“I started studying snakes in Australia, of which there are about 140 species of land snake, a couple of years ago. There are far more venomous snakes here than back home in the USA, but only about 12 are likely to inflict a wound that could kill you,” said Chalon.
She enrolled and completed an intensive certificate course on catching venomous snakes with the Department of Environment and Science where she gained knowledge and hands-on experience with some of the nation’s most common venomous varieties such as eastern browns and red belly black snakes.
Since gaining her certificate, Chalon, with Judy by her side, has become a professional snake catcher, working primarily in the Bribie Island area.
“I’m like her apprentice,” said Judy, explaining that a lot goes on behind the scenes with snake catching.
“People often try to get too close and there could be dogs or kids around as well, so I make sure the perimeter is safe for Chalon to locate the snake. Another set of eyes to find the snake can also be handy because they can move pretty quickly. Once found, it can take two people to get the snake hooked and into the bag so an extra pair of hands can be extremely helpful.”
Chalon said people should avoid approaching any snake, especially if it cannot be conclusively identified as a safe species.
“They should leave it to the professionals because snakes can look very similar, such as the non-venomous keelback versus the venomous rough-scaled snake.”
Common species found around the Bribie Island area include the non-venomous tree snake and pythons with the largest caught by the two snake wranglers being 2.5 metres.
Catching snakes is not for the faint-hearted and Judy admits that originally coming from snake-free New Zealand, it was something she had to adjust to gradually.
“Chalon got me to hold and touch them and I eventually grew more confident in handling them,” she said.
“The first time we caught one together, I was so nervous that I held its neck out of the car window until we arrived at the place where we could release it safely back into the wild. It must have looked quite a sight as we drove along,” laughed Judy.
Chalon describes snakes as gorgeous creatures and says most people fear them because they are the `unknown’ reptile that slithers around the garden.
“Once you get to know them and become familiar with their behaviour, you love them. They are not out to bite you… they really want to get away from you. Their instinct is usually to flee unless they feel threatened or cornered,” she said.
Snakes have often slithered into suburban backyards and homes and, when it gets hot, they seek cool places like a wall crevice, under a refrigerator or barbecue grill, or behind an air-conditioning unit.
Being fit and flexible is a huge advantage when snake catching, which is only one of many activities enjoyed by Chalon and Judy who are both photographers, play pickleball three times a week, as well as golf, jazz ballet, line dancing, fishing, cycling, walking, paddleboarding and kayaking.
Snakes are most active in Australia during snake season, which typically begins around September and runs until April. So, if you see one… remember who to call, the snake wranglers from GemLife Bribie Island!