Snakes seek refuge in urban areas: Potentially deadly consequences of El Niño for N. Australia

Persistent drought in northern Australia is having potentially deadly consequences as snakes seek refuge in urban areas during their quest for water.

Paramedics in Queensland are treating more than a dozen snakebite victims per week, local media reported on Friday as experts warn the deadly eastern brown snake are becoming more active as the El Niño weather pattern brings increasingly warmer temperatures.

A 64-year old woman was taken to Queensland hospital in a stable condition on Thursday after getting bitten by a brown snake while gardening, the second deadliest in Australia responsible for four to six deaths per year.

The report comes a day after an unidentified "brown" snake bit a four-year-old girl while she watched television inside her home.

The lack of rainfall in the north of Australia has snakes and other reptiles converging into urban areas during their active breeding season, which has seen reports of snakes hiding in toilets as they become creative at finding water.
 Xinhua - china.org.cn
30/10/15