Aussie mum finds 'highly venomous' snake in bathroom: 'Currently trapped'
A worried mum got the fright of her life after discovering a slithering snake in her home with her four-year-old daughter and dogs just metres away.
The mum, from Cumbalum, near Ballina on the north coast of NSW, said she called for experts to rescue the snake, but in the meantime, had trapped the reptile in the bathroom so it couldn't escape.
Photos shared on Facebook on Tuesday show the small but mighty snake inside the bathtub. Another shows the animal sliding up one wall, with its body hung over the taps.
At first, the mum believed it to be an eastern small eye after sending photos to a local snake catcher. But it turned out to be a red-bellied black snake — both "highly venomous" many pointed out.
"We’ve got a snake in our house, waiting on someone from Wires but it’s been a few hours. We’ve also contacted several snake catchers and not had a response as yet," the worried mum wrote on Facebook. "Anybody have any recommendations? We have a 4yo and dogs. It’s currently trapped in our bathroom so it is secure."
Thankfully, it wasn't long before a local snake catcher attended and rescued the animal. The Cumbalum woman said she was "so grateful" for it to have been removed safely without harm done to it or her family.
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Another family member, who appeared to be home at the time, said Marion from Safe Snake Services "dropped everything to help us". "Her utmost concern was making sure we and our family were safe and she rushed to be here," they said.
How to spot a red-bellied black snake
Eastern small eyes are said to resemble a red-bellied black snake. They have a rounded head with small, black eyes and regularly frequent the Gold Coast, Brisbane & Scenic Rim regions, according to a local snake catcher.
The red-bellied black snake is often found in the same areas and is most frequently found near water such as creeks and ponds. They are among the most spotted snakes along the east coast, according to the Australian Museum. The body appears black and glossy with bright red ventral scales — which appear on the underside of the snake. Their head is barely distinct from the neck and they have a pale brown snout.
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