Ask any Aussie expat living overseas what she/he misses about the Land Down Under and we bet they’ll list Vegemite, Bunnings’ sausage sangas and days spent in the blistering hit at the beach.
One thing they probably wouldn’t add to that list? A SNAKE.
Y’see, Australia is known, celebrated, even, for its myriad native flora and fauna, as well as its arse-kicking kangaroos and funnel web spiders (because crocodile-infested creeks and jogger-attacking dingoes weren’t enough).
Well, this year, it’s all about the slithering snakes, with report after report being released about hair-raising snake sightings that are set to spook the socks off you.
So, what’s the deal? Why are we seeing more snakes in our classrooms and homes?
“Lack of rain has brought rodents into residential areas to chase water therefore the snakes follow them for food and also water supply for themselves,” the Australian Reptile Park’s head of venom Zac Bower explains.
“Camera phones could have more to do with it as years ago people weren’t able to easily film snake sightings and broadcast them, so another factor to consider is maybe there’s the same amount of snakes – just more ability to record and show them.”
Well, with that in mind, we have wrapped up the most shocking-borderline-awe-inspiring snake sightings of 2018…
The snake that hid in a kid’s lunchbox
In news that’ll make you jump out of your skin, an Adelaide mother found a baby (albeit DEADLY) brown snake hiding in the lid of her child’s lunchbox.
Picture c/o Snake Catchers Adelaide.
“When she opened up the lid … she didn’t even see it and she was halfway through putting the lunch in and then she saw it and shut the lid down,” says snake catcher Rolly Burrell, as reported by the ABC.
“Snakes like to get into closed spaces so they feel secure.”
The snake that tapped on a car window, looking for a ride (seriously)
According to Eden Magnet , after failed attempts of trying to enter Mt Ogier of Pambula, NSW’s car (!!!), the snake then made a bolt for the driver’s window.
Picture c/o Nolans Auto Parts & Industrial Supplies/Facebook.
After tapping on the windows, yet failing again, the snake then wrapped itself around the car’s side mirror.
Picture c/o Nolans Auto Parts & Industrial Supplies/Facebook.
“It was sort of tapping on the window a couple of times, because it obviously wanted to get in,” Mr Ogier says, as reported by the ABC.
The snake that ate the family cat
This could be one of the most cringe-inducing photos in recent memory – an X-ray of a carpet python with a CAT being digested in the snake’s stomach.
The picture was shared on Facebook by Snake Catchers Brisbane, Ipswich, Logan & Gold Coast and captioned with, “can you find the microchip?”
The snake that was found in a school bag
The last thing you’d think your son or daughter would expect to find in their schoolbags is a red-belly black snake!
Earlier this month, a schoolgirl from Ipswich, Queensland was reaching for some snacks inside her bag at recess, when the snake slithered across her hand.
Picture c/o News.com.au
The snake that fell from the ceiling and landed on a schoolkid
If this terrifying tale doesn’t represent what #Straya really means, we don’t know what does…
Students at Western Australia’s Waggrakine Primary School in Gerladton were given the fright of their lives when a snake fell through a crack in the ceiling and hit a student.
While the student was not harmed, the classroom was immediately evacuated following the ssscare.
The snake only measured in at 30cm long, but it was believed to have been venomous.
How to snake-proof your home
According to snake experts at the Australian Reptile Park, all households should keep grass areas around houses low and well-maintained.
“Also, avoid piling up left over wood from winter or accumulating stick piles,” the ARP suggest. “Tin sheets or any household items like these that are pilled up, can draw in heat providing a perfect man made habitat for snakes.”
“These habitats provide a safe house for snakes as they sit in stealth mode awaiting prey to feed, and if startled they will defend through biting.”
“Snakes don’t go out to harm humans, but if you get in their path or startle them, they will bite and it can be fatal.”
Found a snake at your house? Phone WIRES Rescue Line on 1300 094 737 immediately to organise a trained rescuer to attend, and be sure to keep an eye on the snake from a safe distance.
