Eight common tree snakes were safely captured and relocated after they were found sharing a sunny rockery in a Cammeray backyard on Sydney’s Lower North Shore.
Field story by Snakes in the City · 16 September 2026
The unusual group was discovered during an early spell of warm spring weather. Harley Jones from Snakes in the City attended the property, controlled access to the garden and removed all eight snakes without residents attempting to handle them.
The independent local report was published by Mosman Collective, which featured Harley’s photographs and practical advice for Lower North Shore residents.
What happened in the Cammeray backyard?
The snakes had gathered around a sun-warmed rock garden. Their bright yellow throats and slender bodies were consistent with common tree snakes (Dendrelaphis punctulatus), a non-venomous species found across the Sydney region.
Finding several snakes in one place can be surprising, but it should not lead residents to start pulling apart rocks, plants or garden structures. A group found together does not by itself prove that there is a “nest” or that breeding has occurred. The important field fact was that eight individual snakes were using the same sheltered, sunny area and needed to be managed safely.
Harley said the recent warm conditions had brought snake activity forward. Snakes normally become more noticeable as spring progresses, but suitable warmth can encourage earlier basking and movement.
Why common tree snakes use suburban gardens
Common tree snakes are agile daytime hunters that may move through vegetation, rockeries, fences and areas where frogs or skinks are present. Their colour is variable: individuals may appear green, olive, brown, dark grey, black or even bluish, often with a pale or yellow throat.
Although the species is non-venomous, residents should not handle an unidentified snake. Colour alone is unreliable, and a frightened animal may defend itself. See the Snakes in the City common tree snake guide for identification and habitat information.
What to do if several snakes appear together
- Move children, pets and bystanders indoors or well away.
- Do not stand over the snakes, block their route or attempt to separate them.
- Leave rocks, pots, timber and vegetation exactly where they are.
- Watch from behind a closed window or another secure position if it is safe.
- Record the exact last-seen location and direction of movement.
- Call a licensed snake catcher and explain that more than one animal is visible.
If anyone may have been bitten, call Triple Zero (000) immediately, keep the person still and follow the emergency operator’s instructions. Read the full snake-sighting and snakebite safety guidance.
What the Cammeray call-out tells local residents
The key lesson is not that every rockery contains snakes. It is that warm, sheltered garden features can briefly become attractive basking sites, and several animals can be present even when a resident initially sees only one.
After a sighting, searching is more likely to remove the reliable last-known location than to make the property safer. Professional scene control, patient observation and appropriate handling equipment are more useful than lifting rocks or reaching into planting.
Snakes in the City assists homes, strata properties, schools and businesses across Cammeray, Northbridge, Mosman, Neutral Bay and the wider Lower North Shore. See the Cammeray snake-catcher and local safety information or call 0411 103 488 with the exact address and current situation.
Independent coverage and further reading
Original report: Anna Usher, “Experts issue local warning after EIGHT snakes found in Cammeray backyard,” Mosman Collective, published 16 September 2026. Read the independent article.
Species guide: Common Tree Snake identification and Sydney habitat.