Mum finds toddler’s snake collection in cupboard

A Townsville mum was shocked to find a takeaway container filled with poisonous snakes in her three-year-old son’s cupboard.

Kyle Cumming found a nest of eggs in his backyard several weeks ago and asked his mum for a container to put them in.

His mum Donna Sim told News Limited she thought nothing of it, and gave him a takeaway box.

Three weeks later, she got the shock of her life when she spied the container at the back of the wardrobe.

Inside were seven baby eastern brown snakes, considered to be the world’s second most venomous species.

"I was pretty shocked, particularly because I don't like snakes," she said.

Fortunately the lid of the container was on tight and the snakes weren’t yet mature enough to push it off.

Kyle and his mum took the snakes to Billabong Sanctuary where wildlife careers released them back into the wild.

North Queensland Wildlife Care reptile co-ordinator Trish Prendergast, who released the seven eastern browns, has a simple message for Australians.

"Leave nature alone. This little boy was extremely lucky he didn't get bitten," she told AAP on Thursday.

Ms Prendergast said it was illegal to interfere with protected wildlife but the family would not face any charges.

"I don't know if she realised they were snake eggs or not," she said.

"She thought maybe it was a nice thing to do, to get the eggs and watch them hatch."