An in-depth review of ten years of wildlife rescue records has unveiled the intricate relationships between humans and reptiles in Sydney’s urban environment, particularly spotlighting the venomous red-bellied black snake as one of the most frequently rescued reptiles in the city.
Recent analysis of a decade’s worth of wildlife rescue data in New South Wales has shed light on the interactions of humans with reptiles in city settings.
Researchers from Macquarie University collaborated with experts from Charles Darwin University and the NSW Department of Climate Change, Energy, the Environment and Water to examine over 37,000 records documenting snake and lizard rescues in the Greater Sydney area from 2011 to 2021.
The findings were published in the paper Interactions between reptiles and people: a perspective from wildlife rehabilitation records in the Royal Society Open Science journal on October 2.
Teagan Pyne, the lead author and a Masters of Conservation Biology graduate from Macquarie University, states that this data has given her team the chance to gather unique insights into how humans and wildlife coexist in urban spaces.
“This paper emphasizes how patterns in wildlife rescue mirror public attitudes toward various animals,” says Pyne.
“Larger reptiles tend to capture people’s attention due to fear or because they are seen as a nuisance, unlike wild mammals or birds, which are usually rescued when injured,” explains Pyne.
“Conversely, common smaller reptiles such as garden skinks are rarely featured in our data, not because they are uncommon, but because people often overlook or fail to report them.”
Growing human interactions
Dr. Chris Jolly, a conservation biologist at Macquarie University and co-author, highlights that this research provides timely insights into human interactions with urban wildlife through reptile rescue data.
“As urban areas grow globally, human-wildlife interactions will naturally rise,” says Dr. Jolly. “This research helps clarify the patterns behind these encounters.”
Sydney, Australia’s largest city, is rich in reptile life, and Dr. Jolly notes that the unexpected prevalence of larger reptiles can be attributed to the city maintaining large areas of bushland, supporting local wildlife.
“Sydney’s landscape, with its waterways and rolling hills, allows for reptiles like eastern blue-tongue lizards to thrive even in suburban backyards,” he adds.
Size is significant
The research revealed a distinct preference for larger reptiles within rescue records, with just two species representing nearly two-thirds of all reptile rescues.
These include the elegantly dangerous red-bellied black snake and the relatively harmless eastern blue-tongue lizard, often regarded as a friendly garden resident.
“Wildlife rehabilitators often receive calls to rescue injured animals, frequently helping injured blue-tongue lizards,” Dr. Jolly mentions.
“However, our data indicates that the primary reason for reptile rescues is attributed to ‘unsuitable environment’—often a euphemism for extracting snakes from backyards.”
Seasonal trends were also noted in reptile rescues, with numbers significantly increasing from August to September as spring begins in Australia. The data showed rescues tended to be concentrated in densely populated areas and along major roads.
Still, while reptile activity fluctuates with the seasons, human behavior and activity patterns do as well; Dr. Jolly points out that wildlife rescue statistics reflect this interplay of reptile movement and human locations and behaviors.
Despite the large population of reptiles, including many sizable, venomous snakes present in urban Sydney, instances of snake bites are quite rare.
“People often request venomous snakes be removed due to their fear. Fortunately, public awareness has grown, prompting people to wear shoes outdoors and to recognize which snakes are venomous and which are safe,” Dr. Jolly says.
Professor Rick Shine, the senior author, shares that the team compared this data with a similar study conducted two decades prior.
“Despite a tenfold increase in rescues, the same larger species consistently dominate the records,” Professor Shine notes.
He emphasizes that wildlife rescue databases provide exceptional insights into human-wildlife interactions and can enhance traditional survey methods.
The team also suggests that wildlife rescue data has the potential to inform focused public education campaigns and management strategies, especially regarding seasonal snake behavior and preventing roadkill.