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By the Hawkesbury Gazette
A small but passionate group of local “snake chasers” were spotted this week along Mountain Lagoon Road, their headlights sweeping the roadside in search of one of the region’s most elusive residents the snake.
Unlike professional snake catchers who respond to removal calls, these wildlife enthusiasts head out after dark to photograph and record wild snakes in their natural environment. Much like storm chasers, they pursue their quarry not for danger, but for fascination combining adventure with a citizen-science purpose.
Snakes are a protected species in Australia, and as the snake chasers explain, nighttime is often the best time to spot them. “After dusk, snakes emerge from hiding to bask on the bitumen,” said one participant. “The road holds the day’s warmth, making it a perfect resting place in the cool night air.”
Mountain Lagoon Road, which winds deep into the Wollemi Wilderness National Park, has become a hotspot for sightings. The mixture of sealed road, surrounding bushland creates ideal conditions for species like pythons, red-bellied black snakes, and the rare Broad-headed Snake, a species listed as threatened in New South Wales.
Local resident Lionel Buckett was driving the road this week when he noticed a cluster of cars pulled over with spotlights shining into the bush. “I thought they’d broken down,” he said with a laugh. “But when I stopped to see if they needed help, I saw they were photographing a beautiful broad-head snake right on the edge of the road.”
Buckett said he was “captivated” by the encounter. “People of my generation grew up around snakes. We learned bush skills, how to recognise them, respect them, and leave them be. They’re beautiful creatures, perfectly adapted to survive in a world that mostly fears them.”
The snake chasers say their aim is education, documentation, and appreciation not interference. Each sighting is photographed and logged with species details and GPS coordinates, contributing to citizen-science databases that help ecologists understand reptile distribution.
As the Hawkesbury warms up and the nights stay cool, locals are reminded to drive carefully on rural roads. Snakes often use the warm asphalt as a refuge, and the “snake chasers” might just be nearby, cameras ready, spotlight beams sweeping the roadside.
So next time you see a few vehicles pulled over along a country road after dark, it might not be a breakdown it could be a glimpse into the secret nocturnal life of the Hawkesbury’s wildest residents.
