MELBOURNE, Australia (AP) — A man described feeling “the shudders” as more than 100 venomous red-bellied black snakes were removed from a pile of mulch in his Sydney backyard.
David Stein called Reptile Relocation Sydney last week after watching around six snakes slither into the mulch. He learned from an internet search that pregnant, known as gravid, red-belly blacks pile on top of each other before they give birth.
-
In this photo provided by Cory Kerewaro, a red-belly black snake slithers from a mulch pile before being caught as 102 of the reptiles are captured at a suburban Sydney yard, on Jan. 31, 2025. (Cory Kerewaro via AP) -
In this photo provided by Cory Kerewaro, red-belly black snakes are contained in a bucket after 102 of the reptiles were captured from a suburban Sydney yard, on Jan. 31, 2025. (Cory Kerewaro via AP) -
In this photo provided by Cory Kerewaro, red-belly black snakes are contained in a bucket after 102 of the reptiles were captured from a suburban Sydney yard, on Jan. 31, 2025. (Cory Kerewaro via AP)
Snake catcher Dylan Cooper arrived that afternoon. Stein helped rake away mulch as Cooper bagged 102 pregnant and newborn snakes.
“Just seeing that amount in one group, it gives you a bit of the shudders,” Stein said Friday.
Reptile Relocation Sydney owner Cory Kerewaro said two of the captured adults gave birth to a total of 29 snakes in the bag while Cooper was still sifting through mulch catching more.
The final tally was five adults and 97 offspring caught, Kerewaro said.
Experts don't know why so many snakes gave birth in such a short time frame at Stein’s 1.4-hectare (3.5-acre) property in suburban Horsley Park on Sydney’s western outskirts.
Kerewaro said the largest haul he’d heard of in a similar snake removal job was 30 non-venomous carpet pythons. Pythons hatch from eggs while red-belly blacks give birth.
“You can get a decent number like that when the babies are hatching,” Kerewaro said. “But to have this many venomous snakes, no one’s come across it."
Scott Eipper, who has written several books about Australian snakes and dangerous wildlife, said gravid red-belly blacks might congregate for safety reasons or a shortage of suitable habitat to give birth.
Eipper, who spoke to Kerewaro on the day the snakes were being caught, said it was possible that extraordinarily hot weather in Sydney had triggered birthing.
“This is an isolated incident. It’s certainly a very rare occurrence.," Eipper said.
Red-belly blacks have litters of between 4 and 35 young. Some of the captured snakes may be the offspring of adults that already left the nest, Eipper said.
Most of the world’s most venomous snakes are native to Australia.
A week later, Kerewaro still has the snakes, which are a protected species. Government authorities gave him permission on Thursday to release them into a national park.
“Because there was such a large number, obviously people were a bit concerned where 100 snakes were going to go,” Kerewaro said.
“They’ll be far enough away to avoid any human interaction: 100 snakes are going into the middle of the bush in the middle of nowhere,” he added.
In December, Stein’s 2-year-old Jack Russell terrier Belle killed a juvenile red-bellied black that bit her. She spent four days in an animal hospital and recovered after multiple doses of antivenom.
Stein said he has been told snakes could return to give birth in the mulch at the same time next year.
“Within the next couple of days, this big pile of mulch will be gone,” Stein said.
