Red Bellied Black Snake: FAQ After An Encounter.

Snake Facts, Snake Identification, Snake Safety, Australian Snakes, Sydney Snake Catcher

31 Mar

This Red Bellied Black Snake from a unit complex in Olympic Park.

For books, bandages and a whole lot more head to https://sydneysnakecatcher.com.au/shop/

This newly born Red Bellied drowned after falling into a suburban pool.

If you’ve just found a red-bellied black snake in your yard, you’re not alone. Red-bellied blacks account for 52% of all snake removal jobs we attend across Sydney — more than every other species combined. If you’re seeing snakes in Sydney, chances are it’s this one.

About the Red-Bellied Black Snake
The red-bellied black snake (Pseudechis porphyriacus) is one of Australia’s most recognisable reptiles. Glossy black on top with a vivid red or pink belly, adults typically reach 1.5 to 2 metres in length. They’re found across the entire Sydney basin — from the northern beaches to the southern highlands, from the eastern suburbs to the Blue Mountains — wherever there’s water, prey, and enough vegetation to provide cover.
They are not rare. They are not unusual. They are everywhere, and most Sydney residents will encounter one at some point.

Why Are They in My Yard?
Red-bellied black snakes are not in your yard because something has gone wrong. They are there because something has gone right — for them.
They follow food. Their primary prey is frogs, but they’ll also take lizards, small mammals and other snakes. If your property has a pond, a pool, a leaking tap, a dense garden bed, a compost heap, a wood pile, or anything else that attracts frogs and lizards, you have habitat that suits a red-bellied black perfectly.
They are also more active after rain. If you’ve had a wet week and suddenly there’s a snake in the garden, that’s not coincidence — rain brings frogs out, and frogs bring red-bellied blacks.

Dealing with Red-Bellied Black Snake Encounters

If you encounter a Red-Bellied Black Snake in your home or yard, follow these steps:

Keep Your Distance: Avoid approaching the snake and ensure the safety of children and pets.
Call a Professional: Contact a business experienced in snake removal for safe and efficient handling.
Watch it…But don’t scare it: Just monitor its movements. You need to watch where it goes!
Do Not Attempt DIY Removal: Avoid trying to remove the snake yourself, as it can be dangerous. Professional expertise is essential.
Learn About Local Species: Familiarise yourself with the common snakes in your area, especially venomous ones, to better understand potential risks.
Prevent Future Encounters: After removal, take proactive steps to minimise future snake encounters. This includes sealing openings, maintaining a tidy yard, and reducing factors that may attract snakes.

How Dangerous Are They to Humans?
Less dangerous than most people think — and more dangerous than some people think. Let’s be precise.
No human has ever died from a red-bellied black snake bite in Australia.
Their venom is primarily myotoxic — meaning it attacks muscle tissue locally rather than affecting your central nervous system the way a brown snake or taipan venom does. A bite is serious and requires immediate medical attention, but it is rarely life-threatening to a healthy adult.
However. The localised tissue damage caused by red-bellied black venom is not trivial. I have four friends who are missing fingers as a direct result of red-bellied black bites. In each case the venom caused sufficient tissue destruction that amputation was the outcome. These were not people who were careless or reckless — they were experienced handlers who made a single mistake.
The lesson is simple: do not handle them. Do not try to catch them. Do not corner them. Call us.

This is the result of a Red Bellied bite. The photo was taken 5 weeks after the bite. The finger was amputated the following week. The patient spent most of the previous 5 weeks in hospital. This is why simply asking “will it kill me?” isn’t the only issue.

How Dangerous Are They to Pets?
Extremely. This is where the red-bellied black snake’s reputation as a “less dangerous” species becomes genuinely misleading.
To be clear a snake won’t attack your dog, but if the dog attacks the snake the snake will defent itself. The combination of curiosity, low-to-the-ground body position, and the instinct to attack the snake makes dogs extraordinarily vulnerable. A dog that finds a red-bellied black will often try to interact with it. That interaction ends badly.
When a human gets bitten it typically on fingers or feet. When a dog is bitten it’s on the nose or mouth. We keep calm and sit down…the dog runs around.

The venom that causes localised tissue damage in a large adult human causes systemic collapse in a dog. Symptoms can include sudden weakness, vomiting, bleeding from the gums, muscle tremors, collapse, and in many cases death — even with swift veterinary treatment.
If your dog has been bitten by or near a red-bellied black snake, do not wait to see how it goes. Go to an emergency vet immediately. Time is the difference between survival and death.
Cats are less commonly bitten but equally vulnerable. If you have pets, a red-bellied black in your yard is not something to monitor and hope resolves itself.

Preventive Measures to Minimise Red-Bellied Black Snake Encounters

Red-Bellied Black Snakes are drawn to suburban areas due to the presence of their prey. To reduce the risk of future encounters, consider these preventive measures:

Keep your yard clean and free of debris that may provide snake hiding spots.
Be aware of factors that attract prey, such as bird aviaries, chicken coops, or small pets like rabbits and guinea pigs.
Understand that snakes perceive their surroundings differently based on their height, so stay vigilant, especially in snake-prone areas.

This adult female Red Bellied Black Snake was sheltering in an old BBQ with gardening equipment.

For books, bandages and a whole lot more head to https://sydneysnakecatcher.com.au/shop/

What Should I Do Right Now?
Keep your distance. Do not approach the snake, corner it, or attempt to catch it. Keep children and pets inside.
If you can, keep an eye on where the snake goes — or note the exact spot where it was last seen. Red-bellied blacks, like all snakes, will look for cover. They move fast when they want to, but they will often settle under a rock, a log, a pot plant, or garden debris and wait for things to calm down. Knowing where it went gives us the best chance of finding it.

Call Urban Reptile Removal on 0418 633 474.

We attend callouts across all of Sydney. Our call-out fee is $295 for residential jobs and covers our attendance, the time and effort involved in locating and safely removing the snake, and any additional animals found on site during the search. The fee applies whether or not we locate the animal — because the search itself takes the same time and effort either way.

Red-Bellied Black Snake Bite First Aid: What to Do in an Emergency

First Aid for a Red-Bellied Black Snake Bite
If someone has been bitten, act immediately.
Apply a pressure immobilisation bandage to the bitten limb — firm, not tight, starting at the bite site and bandaging up the limb. Immobilise the limb completely. Keep the patient calm and still. Call 000.
Do not wash the bite site — the venom residue on the skin helps medical staff identify the species and administer the correct treatment. Do not cut the wound. Do not try to suck out the venom. Do not apply a tourniquet. Do not give the patient food or alcohol.
Get to a hospital as quickly as possible. Antivenom is available and effective.

Will It Come Back?
Red-bellied blacks are not territorial in the way some animals are, but they do follow habitat. If the conditions that attracted the snake in the first place haven’t changed — the frogs, the water, the dense vegetation — other snakes may move through over time.
We can advise you on what changes to your property might reduce the likelihood of future visits. We can also return if needed.
About Urban Reptile Removal

This large male black snake was getting veterinary attention after being stuck in netting over a fish pond.

In a snakebite emergency, the most critical step is seeking immediate medical assistance. Red-Bellied Black Snake bites may require antivenom, which is administered exclusively by medical professionals.

While waiting for professional help, focus on keeping the affected person calm and still to minimize venom spread and complications. Keep in mind that the severity of snakebite envenomations can vary, underscoring the importance of following these steps potentially to save a life.

Conclusion

Encountering a Red-Bellied Black Snake in your home or yard can be unsettling. Still, by following safety guidelines, seeking professional assistance when needed, and taking preventive measures, you can coexist safely with these reptiles. Remember that repeat visits by Red-Bellied Black Snakes are relatively rare, and with proactive actions, you can minimise the chances of future encounters. Stay informed and prepared to ensure the safety of your family and pets in snake-prone regions.

This large male Red Bellied Black Snake was found in a garden in Granville.

**This specimen measured 1.94m..the largest one recorded from Sydney.** The largest on record at the Australian Museum is a little over 1.8m. The snake was clearly old and passed away two days after it was removed from a back yard in Castle Hill.

About Chris Williams

Sydney’s Most Experienced Urban Reptile Specialist

Chris Williams has spent more than 35 years working with Australia’s most iconic and dangerous reptiles. As founder of Urban Snake & Reptile Removal, he provides fast, safe and highly professional snake removal across Sydney, backed by decades of field experience and scientific knowledge.

Chris is widely regarded as one of Sydney’s leading authorities on urban reptiles that now live alongside us as the city expands. His work focuses on how development shapes wildlife populations and how people can safely coexist with the species that turn up in homes, schools, workplaces and construction sites.

A Career Built on Reptile Expertise

Chris began working with reptiles in 1990 as a WIRES reptile-handling instructor before joining Taronga Zoo’s reptile department, where he worked with cobras, rattlesnakes and Australian elapids, and contributed to conservation programs for threatened species.
He later worked at the Australian Reptile Park and Reptiles Alive!, delivering reptile-education programs across NSW. Since 2014 he has served as President of the Australian Herpetological Society, leading the state’s oldest reptile-focused organisation.

Chris is also the author or co-author of several major reptile books, including Urban Reptiles, Reptiles of the Red Centre and Reptiles of the Greater Sydney Region. These publications have helped cement his position as Sydney’s most knowledgeable urban reptile specialist.