Cyclist bitten after eastern brown snake caught in bike chain

A cyclist has been bitten by an eastern brown snake after accidentally running over the reptile on the Burringbar stretch of the Northern Rivers Rail Trail.

The snake became caught in the bicycle’s chain on Wednesday after being struck, leaving the rider requiring hospital treatment and the bike unable to be moved until the highly venomous reptile was removed.

Snake catcher Sarah Mailey said it was an extraordinary occurrence.

“The snake flung up with the force of getting hit by the bike and it’s caught into the chain,” she said.

“And given that it was caught mid-body, its whole head still had full action.”

Mailey said the snake suffered significant injuries after becoming caught in the bicycle chain and had to be euthanised.

“Where all of its organs are, it was completely twisted and degloved and open,” she said.

“It would have been in a heap of pain and for me to transport it to a wildlife hospital is an extra half an hour of being in pain.”

“The best thing for me to do is to get away from the public and euthanise it myself.”

Mailey said eastern brown snakes had previously been found sheltering beneath the rail trail path.

“I have previously taken eastern brown snakes out that try to spend winter underneath the rail trail, the concrete walk, like the path that you ride along,” she said.

“And I’ve actually been called by the rail trail staff to remove them from under there.”

Mailey said rodents and bandicoots often dig tunnels underneath the rail trail.

“And then the snakes will go into there because they can smell a rodent and they think that there might be food in there,” she said.

“They go in there and there’s no rodent in there, but they realise that ‘Oh, this is nice and cosy, I might just have a little rest.’.”

She said snakes on the rail trail were usually just crossing the track and most people were vigilant for wildlife.

“They do usually only cross the track,” she said.

“Most people are quite vigilant and assume that there’s wildlife crossing.”

The rider was treated by paramedics and transported to hospital before being discharged the following morning.