When Alison and Mark suddenly had no hot water they went outside to check the hot water system. Much to their surprise they noticed a snake curled up inside the system that had somehow seemed to trip the heating. The initial response was to leave the snake for a while and give it some time to move on.
When that did not happen Mark considered that the snake may actually be injured and called WIRES for help.
WIRES volunteer snake handler Martin was soon on the scene and could easily identify it as a harmless Common Tree snake. However it was impossible to see if the snake was in fact injured or had just found a nice warm spot to stay for a while. Martin tried some gentle encouragement, but it became obvious the snake had no intention to leave any time soon.
Alison was okay with Martin cutting the grill as that was the only way he would be able to reach the snake. With a lot of patience and care Martin was eventually able to coach the snake out without damaging its delicate scales.
After a thorough examination Martin was satisfied that the snake was not injured and it was released nearby. Hopefully this cute guy will stick to his natural habitat in future and keep out of harm’s way.
Photographs and story by Martin Fitzgerald