Urban Reptile Removal — Sydney's Trusted Snake Catcher

0418 633 474

If there's a snake at your home, workplace, school, shop, garage, or anywhere you'd rather it wasn't, call 0418 633 474.

You don't need to take a photo. You don't need to identify the snake. You don't need to watch it or follow it. Step back, move children and pets indoors, and let us handle the rest.

When you call, you speak directly with an experienced snake catcher. We stay on the phone, talk you through what to do, and respond across Greater Sydney every day of the year — usually within minutes for emergency call-outs.

Who we are

Urban Reptile Removal was founded by Chris Williams, who has been working with Australian reptiles since 1990. Chris has served as President of the Australian Herpetological Society, the state's oldest reptile-focused organisation, since 2014. He is the author or co-author of six books on Australian reptiles, including Urban Reptiles, Reptiles of the Red Centre, and Reptiles of the Greater Sydney Region.

Urban Reptile Removal trades alongside Sydney Snake Catcher, our sister brand and the original snake catching company in Sydney, established in 2010. Together, they form the largest licensed network of professional snake catchers in NSW, with twenty trained catchers operating under licence.

We cover Greater Sydney — from the Blue Mountains to the Northern Beaches, the Hawkesbury to Sutherland, and the suburbs in between.

Snakes are normal

Sydney has more than a dozen native snake species. They turn up in yards, sheds, gardens, garages, and roof spaces during the warmer months, drawn by food, warmth, shelter, and the natural movement corridors running through every suburb. Snakes don't want conflict. They don't chase people. Almost all defensive behaviour happens only when a snake feels cornered. That's why removal should be done by someone trained.

Species we handle most often

Red-bellied Black Snake. Roughly 60% of our work. Glossy black with a bright red or pink underside, commonly seen near water, drainage lines, frog habitats, creeks, and damp vegetation. Red-bellies are venomous but shy. They retreat when given space and will avoid confrontation if they can. They're common in suburbs bordering bushland or wetlands across the North Shore, Hornsby Shire, and the Northern Beaches. If you find one, do not approach. Do not try to make it leave. Call 0418 633 474.

Eastern Brown Snake. Sydney's most frequently encountered dangerously venomous snake. Fast, alert, and adaptive, with colour ranging from light tan to dark chocolate. Juveniles can have banding and a black head. Browns follow rodents, which makes them common around sheds, timber piles, compost heaps, and warm surfaces on properties with mice or rats. They defend themselves if cornered, and their speed catches people off guard. Never attempt to block, chase, or trap one. Call 0418 633 474.

Diamond Python. Large, calm, non-venomous snakes that are common throughout Sydney. Black scales with yellow or cream spots in rosette patterns. Diamond pythons hunt rats, mice, and possums, and are often found resting on verandas, rafters, patios, or in roof cavities. We treat diamond pythons differently from venomous species. They are protected, beneficial, and important to Sydney's ecology. Where possible, we encourage residents to let them be. When relocation is needed, we move them carefully and release them into appropriate habitat. Call 0418 633 474.

Green Tree Snake. Slim, fast, harmless. Bright green, olive, grey, or almost black, with a yellow underside. When startled, they flatten their bodies and show flashes of blue between the scales. They climb well and often turn up in hedges, fences, garages, and roof edges. Call 0418 633 474 if you'd like one safely relocated.

Blue-tongued Lizard. Not a snake. Heavy-bodied skinks with a bright blue tongue that they show when threatened. Blue-tongues rustle loudly through leaf litter, which is why many people mistake them for snakes. They eat snails, insects, and pet food. We get many calls each year from residents who saw movement in the garden and weren't sure. We're always happy to check.

Where snakes hide

Snakes choose hiding spots based on shade, warmth, and safety. The most common across Sydney: under garden edging, behind hot water systems, inside garages behind storage, under timber or metal sheets, in sheds behind tools, along fences and retaining walls, in roof cavities and wall gaps, inside compost heaps and mulch piles, in dense shrubs and bamboo, behind pool pumps, under decks and stairs, behind air conditioners, and around water features.

Our experience locating snakes in these spots is what makes the difference between a 20-minute job and a long, stressful afternoon.

When a snake gets inside

Snakes enter houses through open sliding doors, gaps under garage doors, holes near pipes, ventilation gaps, damaged screens, and open windows near overhanging trees.

If a snake is inside the home, this is an emergency. Leave the room. Shut the door behind you. Call 0418 633 474.

Practical prevention

Chemical repellents, powders, and ultrasonic devices don't work. What does work: mow regularly, trim vegetation near walls and fences, store timber and materials off the ground, seal small gaps, keep sheds organised, secure outdoor pet food, clear leaf litter, and most importantly — control rodents. The food drives the predator.

Call Urban Reptile Removal

If you see a snake anywhere in Sydney, call 0418 633 474. We answer every day of the year.