Eastern brown snakes exhibit diverse colorations, including red, silver, and jet black.
“I’ve caught every colour brown snake, I’ve caught a really red-coloured one, a silver one, [and] a jet black one that I could have mistook myself for a red [bellied black snake],” she said.
She emphasized that color alone is not a reliable indicator for identification.
“[Eastern brown snakes] definitely do come in all colours,” Mailey said.
Mailey urged cyclists and pedestrians to practice extreme patience and keep their distance if they spot a snake on the trail.
“If you can see it from afar, stop and just wait for it to move off the path,” she said.
If the snake remains stationary, she advised taking a wide path around it on foot.
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“If it’s not moving off the path because it’s sunbaking and can’t see you, pop off your bike and try to walk the furthest way around it you possibly can,” Mailey said.
