Two red-bellied black snakes were caught in a twisted moment on the lawn of a suburban home in Fern Bay.
Some might think they're mating, but snake catcher Colin Shoemark says that's a common misconception.
"It's actually two snakes fighting. It's natural behaviour that happens this time of year," he said.
"It's breeding season, so there will be a female nearby."
Relentless rain means less mowing, longer grass and more snakes in the suburbs.
"A lot of the logs and holes that snakes and reptiles occupy are full of water. So they're on the move to find new places," he said
"If your grass is two to three inches, a six-foot black snake can hide in there and you wouldn't see it.
"A lot of the snakes are coming out of the bush into backyards more easily. They're undetected from birds of prey and dogs and cats because they're not seen in the grass."
He urged people to "get on top of mowing your grass as much as you can".
"Get in and do your gardening when you can. If you don't, you're promoting places for reptiles to hide. They're not looking to kill you, they're looking for somewhere to get away from people.
"And don't store building materials flat in your yard. Store them vertically."
The main snakes Colin is called to capture and release are red-bellied blacks.
"If you see a snake or reptile in your backyard, get your dogs and cats inside. Try and get a photo of it, then call a snake catcher.
"If a red-bellied black bites your dog, you won't necessarily know about it for four to five hours."
He gave an example of a case at Cams Wharf, in south-east Lake Macquarie, in which a bulldog was bitten by a red-bellied black.
"They live on an acreage. The dog was jumping in the dam, trying to cool down. That's what happens, they get really hot after a bite from a red-bellied black. By the time they worked out what had happened, it was too late."
Colin has dealt with a few eastern browns at Stockton and Mayfield's industrial area, but they're less common.
He once caught a big one out the front of Marketown in Newcastle West, which he believes got there through stormwater drains.
Trading cards
Back in the day, collecting sports cards was a big thing.
Still is in some ways. Think of baseball cards. A 1952 Mickey Mantle card sold for $12.6 million in June.
Newcastle Jets trading cards may never go for that sort of price, but they're still worth collecting.
The Jets told Topics that kids will be able to collect two player trading cards at each home game.
Angus Thurgate and Jason Hoffman cards were released at the first home game against Perth on Saturday.
