SCARY SIGHT: This brown snake was discovered by cricketers at Beelbangera Oval at the weekend.
SLEEK, slithery, and the stuff of nightmares, snakes have been spotted in plague proportions this spring and residents have been warned to watch where they step.
The March floods provided perfect conditions for the region's wildlife, including frogs and small mammals, which in turn has created a feast for venomous reptiles and led to higher than average numbers.
Now the warmer weather has arrived, snakes and their babies have been on the move and spotted by many startled Griffith residents.
Lake Wyangan resident Scott Meehan has had encounters with four brown snakes on his property in the last three weeks, with none more than 50cm long.
"They're just babies but obviously there's a mum and dad somewhere nearby," Mr Meehan said.
"They're definitely on the move."
National Parks and Wildlife Service (NPWS) ranger Michelle Ballestrin said snakes were emerging after lying low over winter, and with surplus food resources and lush habitat available, numbers would be up this summer.
She warned the best thing to do was leave them alone.
"The canals, fruit orchards, farms and bush-urban interfaces around Griffith are likely habitats for snakes and this means that residents may come into contact with snakes as they move around to look for food," Mrs Ballestrin said.
"More than 90 per cent of all snake bites in Australia occur when people try to pick up or kill a snake, so the best policy is to leave them alone."
She said the most common species of snakes found around Griffith were the eastern brown snake and red-bellied black snake.
"If people want to keep snakes out of their backyards, I would advise them to keep the area tidy and the lawn mowed, so as to avoid providing places where snakes like to take shelter," she said.
"If one enters your yard, leave it alone and generally it will move on."
Council parks and gardens manager Peter Craig said there was excess vegetation around but council staff were conducting routine slashing to cut back snake habitat around residential areas and parks.