Couple captures huge snake's 'shock' act in Aussie backyard
The reptile appeared to be undeterred on its quest.
A woman has recounted the incredible moment a huge snake appeared just metres from where she was sitting in her backyard.
Eileen Davies told Yahoo News Australia that she and her husband were enjoying a meal on the deck of their home at West Coraki in northern NSW when a strange figure on the ground sent nearby magpies into a frenzy.
"We got up to look closer and couldn't believe our eyes," she recalled, saying they spotted a three-to-four-metre long carpet python making its way towards their bird bath.
Not the average visitor
The pair watched as the snake climbed up the structure and took a drink, which came as a "shock" because the usual visitors to the bird bath are native birds including lorikeets, galahs, corellas and black cockatoos.
Once the reptile's thirst was seemingly quenched, it slowly returned to the ground and slithered away.
Ms Davies thinks the snake must be a regular at the drinking spot. "It seemed to know what it was after and we wonder how many times it may have done this before without us seeing it," she said.
Snakes a part of life for couple
Although Ms Davies says the snake "has to be one of the biggest" they've seen around their property, they aren't fazed by the non-venomous creatures. "We came here from the UK 12 years ago and snakes are something that we have had to get used to," she explained.
"A few weeks ago my husband nearly stood on a very large mainly black python when walking up a path opposite the house," she shared, before revealing that another "really big" python recently took up residence in the roof of her garden shed: "I knew it was in there because it had knocked all the flowerpots around."
However, Ms Davies and her husband aren't as welcoming when it comes to venomous snakes. "Not worried about the pythons at all," she said. "We only get concerned about other snakes because of our dogs."
More big snakes than usual
The sighting comes amid a spate of Aussies snake encounters, with Sean Cade from Australian Snake Catchers revealing an unseasonably warm winter has resulted in large snakes emerging earlier than usual.
"They're just bigger," Mr Cade told Yahoo last month. "They're thicker, they're longer, they're more robust snakes, and I don't know what it is, but they're a little bit more cranky too."
If you are concerned about a snake in or around your home, Mr Cade says it's best to steer clear "Keep kids and pets away from the snake, keep an eye on it if you can, and call a professional," he advised.
Love Australia's weird and wonderful environment? Get our new weekly newsletter showcasing the week’s best stories.
