**More Than 100 Venomous Snakes Rescued from Sydney Backyard**

In an unusual turn of events, Sydney snake catchers were shocked to find a large number of venomous reptiles during a routine rescue.

In a remarkable case, Sydney reptile handlers uncovered a staggering 102 venomous snakes hidden within a mulch pile in a backyard. The incident began when a dog was reported to have been bitten by one of the snakes at the property, prompting the call to the Reptile Relocation Sydney team. Cory Kerewaro, a handler, stated that upon arrival, his colleague initially found 40 red-bellied black snakes, and after safely bagging them, he discovered that four were pregnant, resulting in the birth of 97 hatchlings.

Red-bellied black snakes are a commonly known venomous species across Australia. However, they are not known to have caused human fatalities, which alleviates some concern. The rescued snakes, including five adults and a large clutch of young, are now in quarantine and will be released into a national park as temperatures drop.

This incident marks a record for the snake catchers, whose daily catches typically range between five and 15 snakes. Kerewaro humorously recounted his colleague Dylan Cooper relaying, "Mate, I'm going to be here a while. It's a pretty big pile... I'm already over 15 snakes!" Fortunately, the dog involved in the bite incident is reportedly “alive and well,” according to Kerewaro.

It's noted that female red-bellied black snakes tend to congregate when giving birth, which may offer them protection from predators, according to Australian Museum resources. While this species is characterized as shy, bites, albeit rare, can lead to symptoms such as swelling, nausea, and diarrhea. Under current legislation, snake catchers are obligated to release captured snakes in proximity to where they were found; however, due to the unprecedented size of this discovery, they have received special permission to relocate the snakes to a national park, reducing potential human interactions.