Snakes alive! Where randy reptiles are showing up

Promiscuous pythons are crawling into beds, hiding in the roofs of family homes and even swimming in pools in one of the southeast Queensland busiest breeding seasons.

Stuart McKenzie operates Sunshine Coast Snake Catchers 24/7, running a python patrol from the Sunshine Coast to Brisbane's northern suburbs.

The past week has been one of his busiest ever.

"It's been pretty mental … we've been catching them in backyards, and a lot in roof spaces," he said.

"And not just one usually we're getting two or three at people."

"If people hear a bit of movement in their roof, we'll go up and find a couple of pythons fighting or mating up there."

Mr McKenzie has removed five separate snakes from one particularly unfortunately woman's' house this week alone.

And there's scarier stories still:

"I actually caught a big, about two and a half metre, snake on a kid's bed (yesterday) morning," he said.

Such "silly" behaviour isn't uncommon for snakes at this time of year.

"We're in breeding season at the moment … they're not really concentrating," Mr Mckenzie said.

The basilisk pictured above is a case in point:

"It actually went for a swim - it wanted to go from one side of the yard to the other and there just happened to be a pool between where he wanted to go," Mr McKenzie said.

The recent spike in snake activity is comprised of "90 per cent carpet pythons" - non-venomous, but typically massive.

But Mr McKenzie urged residents not to be complacent.

"If you see a snake if your yard there's a chance this time of year that there's probably another one," Mr McKenzie said.

"If you've got small pets like birds, guinea pigs and chickens, they need to be in snake proof cages.

Originally published as Snakes alive! Where randy reptiles are showing up