Snake catcher Ahsien Nelson says copperheads are generally shy and as long as they’re not prodded or provoked will leave people alone.

If you spot one, stay still, take a few steps back and walk around it, giving the snake a wide berth.

“They will do anything to stay away from you,” she advises.

If bitten, call Triple Zero (000), and avoid panicking to keep blood flow low. Apply a pressure bandage to the area and then bandage above the region and ideally splint with a stick.

Ahsien says there is no anti-venom for copperheads, but hospitals use red-bellied black or brown anti-venom and even then people who have been bitten require up to a year of rehabilitation “because it messes with your nervous system and thickens your blood, making you very ill”.

She says it’s virtually impossible to prevent snakes in a backyard, but to minimise the risk keep gardens clean, lawns mowed, with no wood piles or tubs of water “or anything to attract frogs”.

Read more: Snake season started early this year.