Seen a snake beside a steep garden, shared driveway or Blue Gum Creek? Move away, secure pets and describe the safe approach from the road. Stay out of the gully.
Blue Gum Creek: name the side of the valley
Chatswood West reaches from residential streets into the wooded Lane Cove River landscape. Blue Gum Reserve has steep sections, rock outcrops and creek-side tracks. A sighting below a garden can be difficult to locate from the house number alone. Give the street entrance and whether the last position is above or below the road.
For a track report, use an entry street such as Dulwich Avenue, Kooba Street or Greville Street and the last signed junction. The Fullers Road bridge and Lady Game Drive are different approaches to the Lane Cove National Park landscape; do not assume someone can cross a creek or private property to reach you.
Keep a useful last-seen position
- At home: leave pots, leaf litter, timber and pool equipment alone. From safety, note the retaining-wall gap, drain, stair or fence panel nearest the snake.
- On a walk: remain on the formed route, allow space and keep dogs away. Do not follow into scrub to maintain a view.
- If it disappears: report the last fixed point and direction. Searching can disturb cover and put you closer to the animal.
Tell the office about stairs, locked gates, narrow side passages and shared-drive access. A photograph helps only when it can be taken without approaching.
Snakes in the City records the location and access details, then coordinates an available licensed catcher according to location and availability. Confirm the call-out fee by phone. Attendance timing and capture are not guaranteed.
Medical and pet emergencies
Suspected snakebite: call 000. Keep the person still, apply pressure immobilisation and follow the ambulance operator. Do not wash the bite, cut it or use a tourniquet. Healthdirect first-aid guidance. Do not walk or drive to hospital unless emergency services direct you.
For possible pet exposure, minimise movement and call a vet promptly. North Shore Veterinary Hospital, 63 Herbert Street, Artarmon, lists 02 9436 1213 and 24/7 emergencies. SASH North Ryde, 1 Richardson Place, lists 02 9889 0289 and 24/7 emergency care. Call ahead for advice.
Local routes and the wider map
Chatswood is the urban approach east of these gullies. Roseville and Lindfield are useful northern references. North Ryde lies across the Lane Cove River; use road and bridge access, not a straight-line map assumption. These guides sit alongside our Lower North Shore hub.
2025 observation map: grid G4 contains 34 records across the whole approximately 11 by 9 km square, not Chatswood West. It does not establish a sighting in this suburb. This is not a danger score, live tracker or SITC call-out count.