Snake skins found dangling from ceiling of newly bought home
New homeowners suffered the shock of their lives after walking into an upstairs room of a house they had just bought.
A confronting video slowly revealing a room with a seemingly countless number of snake skins hanging from the ceiling has shocked Aussies, with many describing it as "creepy".
In what is the stuff of nightmares for many, the video, which was shared in the Snake Identification Australia group on Facebook by a snake catcher, shows footage of an upstairs room in a home which had stood vacant for a long time. The property, located in mid west Western Australia, was recently purchased but the new owners had not ventured upstairs before buying it, the post said.
"When they did this is what they found," the post said. A snake catcher later relocated the snakes that had been living in the upstairs area. They were described as "numerous, very fat, south west carpet pythons".
"No mouse or rat problem there," the snake catcher joked.
'Excellent and creepy at the same time'
Many Aussies were shocked by the disturbing video, with one user saying it would be safer to "burn the house down". Another said it was "excellent and creepy at the same time". A third said "This is like something out of a horror movie".
"This is so fantastic... what a shame they needed to be relocated. They were obviously living their best life right there," another pointed out.
Despite the terrifying scene, a lot of people were fascinated to see so many snake skins in one area and wondered whether the snakes had used the beams above the ceiling to help them shed. The snake catcher who posted the video said "they were all hanging out on top of the insulation and looks like they used the wire to help shed".
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'Busiest snake season in my history'
Yahoo News Australia spoke to West Australian snake catcher and wildlife expert Michelle Jones who has been working in the field for the past 15 years and said this snake season is the busiest she's ever seen.
"This is the most smashed we've been ever I think. Normally I'd start catching them around September, but last year I was getting calls in the first week of August and relocating up to four venomous snakes a day," Jones said. "I had to wrap one snake up in a kangaroo pouch one morning, obviously it was empty, and tie it off with my hair tie because I had no bags left."
Jones explained snakes are likely to head to places like roofs or sheds for a safe place to shed their skin so what was seen in the video is not an uncommon sight. "When snakes shed, about a week before, their eyes will go a blue opaque colour so that's when they're at their most vulnerable. Some of them will hook the bottom of their jaw under something to help start the process of the shed. I liken it to a tall sock being pulled down."
'Think of the wider ecosystem'
Just like spiders, sharks and even bees, many Australians are keen to see snakes relocated from places where they could come in contact with humans, but Jones said it's best to stop and think about why they're there before you do.
"We really need to think about the whole ecosystem and what is going to happen if we move the snake. If we continue to move every single snake we see, then we'll see the ecosystem disturbed, so there won't be natural rodent control and things like that."
She said many snakes are usually just passing through and are more scared of us than we are of them.
"I had one lady who owned a property and noticed a king brown snake hanging around, but he never bothered her, her kids or came into the yard. He was like clockwork, usually just having a drink out of the water trough for the horses and didn't want any confrontation, so we didn't end up moving him."
Tips for keeping snakes out of your home
If you're not too keen on having a snake as your roommate or in your yard, Jones suggests keeping these tips in mind:
1. Identify the snake first and learn why it's there.
"Make sure you understand if it's just passing through or needs somewhere to shed, or maybe it's just looking for a mate," Jones said.
2. Call a local reptile remover
"Don't try to harm the snake, as despite there being fines if you do, most people who don't have the qualifications or skills to move them will get bitten."
3. Keep your yard tidy
"If you don't want snakes in your direct backyard, keep grass short, keep your yard tidy and remember any mice activity will see snakes follow because that's food for them," Jones said.
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