Confusion over chilling discovery in NSW school sandpit
Children at a NSW primary school were given a festive fright after finding dozens of what were believed to be snake eggs in a sandpit.
FAWNA Wildlife Rescue volunteers were called to Laurieton Public School on the NSW Mid North Coast after children on the grounds came across the eggs on December 20, Fairfax Media reported.
Initially 12 eggs were removed, however after more were discovered volunteers returned for an extensive search.
After three days, 43 eggs were collected from seven nests.
Volunteers attending the scene identified the eggs as those from a brown snake, much to the shock of children and parents.
Volunteers believed they were laid by two snakes most likely from a reserve that backs onto the school with FAWNA volunteer Yvette Attlier saying the location was an ideal spot for laying eggs.
“The sand was still fresh and loose and would have provided the perfect place for snakes to regulate the eggs due to the temperature,” she said.
But after images of the eggs surfaced online, social media users began to question the volunteer's judgement suggesting they were lizard eggs instead.
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"My partner is a licenced reptile breeder, just letting you all know these aren't snake eggs, they are actually lizard eggs," one woman wrote.
"Snakes don't bury their eggs. You will find these are either bearded dragons or water dragons," another commented.
The wildlife charity moved to clarify the situation and confirmed their original identification of the eggs was in fact wrong.
"We are volunteers and not experts but from what information we had on hand everything told us that they were brown snake eggs, and we believe that we were correct in treating it this way," FAWNA said in a statement.
FAWNA apologised for any confusion over the matter.
