Some snakes such as eastern brown snakes are active during the day, others prefer to hunt in the evening, while some species are more active at night during the hotter months. Many snakes have excellent eyesight, but it's not usually the main sense they rely on when hunting.
Small-eyed snake (Cryptophis nigrescens)
Also called the eastern small-eyed snake. This snake lives in wooded areas, where is hunts small reptiles or frogs at night. The body is slender and usually black or greyish brown. The average length is around 0.5m, with a maximum of 1.2m.
In summer, snakes, including venomous species such as tiger snakes and brown snakes, are typically more active very early in the morning, late in the evening, or during the night when temperatures are not too high for them.
Snakes are at their most active when it's cool out. They move around most in the early morning and around dusk.
Research has shown that cinnamon oil, clove oil, and eugenol are effective snake repellents. Snakes will retreat when sprayed directly with these oils and will exit cargo or other confined spaces when these oils are introduced to the area.
Avoid wandering around in the dark. If you are out at night, always use a flashlight, because most snakes are active on warm nights. Never try to pick up a snake, even if it is dead. A snake's reflexes can still cause the snake to strike up to an hour after it has died.
Behavior: When disturbed, the night snake may flatten its head, coil tightly, and vibrate the tail - appearing as a viper (see photo). However, it is a gentle species that is easily handled. They are considered to be rear-fanged venomous, but not dangerous to humans.
Many bites occur at night and may be inflicted on people sleeping on the floor of their home.
Do Snakes Sleep In The Same Place? In the wild, snakes choose different locations to sleep and rarely ever stay in a place for long, as doing so would make them easy targets for predators. As you probably know, several animals prey on snakes, and like other animals in the wild, snakes have to actively avoid predators.
"Including the brown, tiger, black, taipan, death adder and certain sea snakes and all these snakes are found in Queensland," Mr Farry said. "Most Australian snake bites are associated with minimal local pain and bite marks can be easily missed."
Snakes can be found all over Australia, not only in the Outback. However, you will hardly see them. On all my trips I only saw a few snakes and I nearly stepped on one when I was walking along the Eyre Highway, see the picture above (at least I thought it was a snake at that time). But this won't happen every day.
In Australia, snakes sometimes slither into suburban backyards and homes. When the weather gets warm, they lounge in the sun. When it gets hot, they seek cool places: a wall crevice, under a refrigerator, under a barbecue grill, behind an air-conditioning unit.
80% of Western Australia falls into the desert or semi-arid climate section meaning that it receives no more than a foot of rainfall all year long. The soil is not rich in nutrients and over half of the days are sunny with no clouds. There is a large variety of snakes in this area.
It's rare for Australian snakes to strike. It's even more uncommon for the fangs to penetrate clothing and the skin.
The Eastern brown snake is responsible for around 60% of deaths caused by snakebite in Australia.
India's most venomous snake, the Common krait, is at the heart of a frighteningly common problem. A nocturnal snake, kraits climb beds at night and bite sleeping humans.
"A snake may burrow into bedding to seek warmth. If you have a vent under or near your bed, snakes will likely hide there for warmth and to feel safe." And since snakes are such skilled hiders, the first sign that one is cozying up under your bed may come from your ears tipping you off that they're hiding out.
"Essentially the answer is anywhere that the snake can fit its body is where it can be." He said they'll usually go to warm places low to the ground, so you're not likely to find one in your bed or bathtub.
Most bites occur between the months of April and October when snakes and humans are most active outdoors.
Hatchlings are about 7 inches in length. A small slender snake with a narrow flat head, smooth scales in 19 rows, and vertical pupils. Color varies, often matching the substrate, from light gray, light brown, beige, to tan or cream, with dark brown or gray blotches on the back and sides.
Night snakes are found throughout the southwestern and western United States, as well as Mexico and British Columbia, Canada. They live in many different types of habitat including grasslands, deserts, sagebrush flats, chaparral, woodlands, thorn scrub, thorn forest, and mountain meadows.
Avoid nighttime trail running.
Snakes also hunt at night. Their heat sensors allow them to detect pray unseen this way. You don't want to step in between a snake and its dinner. However, if you must run at night, run with both a buddy and a headlamp.
Snakes enter a building because they're lured in by dark, damp, cool areas or in search of small animals, like rats and mice, for food. Snakes can be discouraged from entering a home in several ways. Keeping the vegetation around the house cut short can make the home less attractive to small animals and snakes.
Leave it alone. Snakes are generally shy and will not attack unless provoked, so it's best to leave them be.