A MATONG couple had the shock of their lives when they found a brown snake wiggling around in their loungeroom.
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Norma and James Redmond have lived in Matong for more than 20 years and had never seen a snake on their property before the incident on Tuesday.
"I came from the kitchen to the loungeroom and I saw the dog sneaking around," Mrs Redmond said.
"I saw the tail and I thought it was a lizard, then I saw the snake's head."
The couple had laid mouse traps throughout their house to catch vermin.
Instead the trap caught the unsuspecting reptile.
"I was in a panic," Mrs Redmond said.
"It has made me very wary and I make sure my grandkids are very alert."
The Redmond's slithering surprise comes as snake experts warn people to be on the lookout for snakes as the weather warms up.
Wagga snake catcher Tony Davis said it was not unusual for snakes to nest near houses as they searched for food.
"I quite often get a snake in the house and people are starting to get a bit more conscious," Mr Davis said.
The Eastern brown snake, the second most dangerous snake in the world, is the most common snake in Wagga.
"You also see the the red belly black snake in the river areas, near Lake Albert," he said.
Murrumbidgee Local health district director of critical care Trish Saccasan Whelan said the rise in temperatures greatly increased snake activity.
"Areas around the home should be kept tidy and lawns mowed to discourage snakes," Dr Saccasan Whelan said.
"Most snake bites are the result of trying to catch or kill snakes," she said.
"Snakes should be left alone and given plenty of space."
Dr Saccasan Whelan said a clear understanding of how to treat snake bites was vital to ensuring survival.
How to treat a snake bite:
- Do not wash or suck out the venom
- Firmly wrap a bandage around the limb, starting from the bite side.
- Mark the location of the bite and immobilise the limb
- Call 000