Text - Level B

Climate change causes snakes to hide in people’s toilets

Bush fires, heatwaves, melting polar ice caps, rising sea levels, floods and dry seasons – there are many consequences of climate change. But what is ”climate change”? It can be described as a deep and long-lasting change in the Earth’s climate and weather and we humans are mainly responsible for it. Human-made CO2 emissions and greenhouse gases harm the atmosphere and in result, the Earth’s weather changes.

For decades tourists from all over the world have come to Australia to enjoy its warm climate. The continent of Australia is about 22 times bigger in geographical size than Germany and is therefore part of more than one climate zone. The northern part of Australia has a tropical climate whereas most of Australia is desert or semi-arid. Winters in Australia are generally not too cold. However, in southern parts like Tasmania or the greater Melbourne area, temperatures can go below 5°C. In the last century, temperature in Australia rose more than half a degree. This led to heated discussions about climate change and its effect on Australian wildlife.

Australia is known for its unique animal population, in particular for its over 200 species  of snakes. Most of them are small and not very dangerous for humans, but one third of the species is venomous. This makes Australia the country with the highest number of venomous snake species in the world. Snakes live in all parts of Australia and are adapted to  its geography and climate.

When temperature drops, snakes are inactive. When the weather gets warm, their body heat rises and then they become more active. Like all animals, they need to eat and drink. However, in extreme dry seasons snakes can’t find enough water to survive. Also during extreme heat waves, they need to cool off. Since dry seasons and heat waves in Australia have become hotter and longer because of the climate change, snakes are increasingly looking for water in residential areas and find them in people’s toilets. Many homeowners in Australian cities and towns like Brisbane, Townsville and Canberra reported having snakes in their bathrooms. Most snakes are usually not aggressive towards humans and flee when they see them, but one woman suffered  a snake bite when she sat down on her toilet. Snake catchers were called to remove the animals.