Warning over danger hiding at steps of Byron Bay beach: 'Almost stood on it'
A dog walker has warned fellow beachgoers to keep an eye out for snakes after spotting one barely visible at a popular walkway.
A local resident has warned Bryon Bay beachgoers to be careful after catching sight of a barely visible snake hiding underneath steps leading to a busy car park.
Aaron Galvin was walking his dog along Belongil Beach on Sunday when he spotted the "lil snake curled up on the step" and snapped a picture to notify locals of the danger on Facebook.
"While I was posting the shot to the community page, two elderly ladies almost stood on it. I warned them just in time," Aaron told Yahoo News Australia.
Despite snakes sightings being a common occurrence in the NSW coastal beach town, many online were grateful for the heads up and admitted they could hardly spot the snake from the picture.
"I would get bitten because I can't see it," one woman said, before adding: "Well, I realised after some time that the photo wasn't showing a drain opening".
"Thank Aaron - well spotted," another wrote.
Expert's "educated guess": Eastern brown snake
Due to the reptile being obstructed it is difficult to confirm the identify of the snake, but Bryan Robinson from Snake Catchers Brisbane believes it could be a highly-venomous eastern brown.
These brown snakes actively hunt during the day and often search places where prey might be hiding, which would explain why the snake was spotted hidden underneath the step.
An eastern brown snake's bite is incredibly potent and contains powerful presynaptic neurotoxins which result in progressive paralysis. Most of the recorded snake bites in Australia have come from eastern browns, according to Billabong Sanctuary Wildlife Park.
The dog walker explained he did consider moving the snake in question away from the busy walkway but decided against it, worried it could become "aggressive" or cause him injury.
Colin Shoemark, a snake catcher from Lake Macquarie told Yahoo last month that if the snake needs to be moved, you should never do it with your own hands.
"Instead I would recommend getting a brand or a stick and ushering the snake away," he said.
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