After rain, beware snakes in the grass

The campsites, golf courses and waterways where tens of thousands of Victorians head for holidays also attract snakes, it seems. Plentiful water, long grass and pleasantly warm weather are a recipe for hundreds more sightings than usual.

But the good news is that Australia's venomous snakes will not ruin anyone's holiday - if left alone.

Mornington snake handler Sean McCarthy, kept busy catching up to three snakes a day in recent weeks, said they were misunderstood and rarely bite unless provoked.

''A lot of people think tiger snakes are aggressive … but when the snake flares up it is usually a warning to someone that they have got too close to the snake's personal space and they feel threatened. The best thing to do is not interact with them in any way,'' he said.

Mr McCarthy thinks reptile numbers are much the same as last year but that in milder, wetter weather they move around in daylight more than they would in a hot, dry summer.

People needed to be aware of their surroundings, particularly at campsites and near water, he said. ''Snakes will be near rivers and streams either cooling down, having a drink or hunting for food. You have to watch where you put your hands, and if you have a dog and are near a waterway, make sure you have it on a leash.''

But snakes are not the only reptiles that cause a commotion. An international visitor staying in Williamstown North caused a brief stir yesterday when she reported a ''crocodile'' hiding behind a rock in nearby wetlands.

Police and wildlife authorities rushed to the scene but soon found that it was a case of mistaken translation: the reptile was a common local resident, a 30-centimetre blue-tongue lizard.