The eastern brown snake might be the second most venomous snake in the world but it's been found in some pretty run-of-the-mill places. And that's terrifying.
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Sunshine Coast Snake Catchers' Stuart McKenzie has found brown snakes under sofas, inside bathroom scales and next to children's playgrounds.
Mr McKenzie posted a compilation of clips to the Snake Catchers Facebook page this week, showing how he extracted snakes from their hiding places.
One clip showed a snake eating a blue-tongued lizard in a bathroom while another hid inside a set of bathroom scales.
Mr McKenzie fished out a small, juvenile brown snake from a backyard swimming pool in another clip.
"Small snakes often fall in and get stuck in swimming pools. Larger snakes are able to get out but smaller ones can't climb over the ledge," he said.
One eastern brown snake was found next to a children's playground at Mooloolaba Beach while another was found in an irrigation pipe beneath a house.
Brown snake venom can kill an adult and should be avoided at all costs.
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Mr McKenzie advised people to simply close their doors to prevent unwanted brown snakes in their home or business.
"Snakes often slither along walls to protect themselves. They prefer having the wall behind them than travelling in the open," he said.
"So when a door is open they just follow it inside. It's not that they're trying to get inside - they're just following the wall."
Mr McKenzie said the most common place he finds brown snakes is in backyards while more unusual sightings include various indoor settings like inside sofas and bathrooms.
If people find a snake on their property, Mr McKenzie advised to keep your distance and call a professional snake catcher.
"Like any snake, they [brown snakes] want nothing to do with us. So if you give them the respect and distance they deserve, you will never have a problem with one," he said.
"As soon as you try and catch or hurt the snake, both of which are illegal, that's when you are likely to get bitten."
The snake catcher said he been called by people who have attempted to catch brown snakes and been bitten in the past.
Mr McKenzie and his colleagues at Sunshine Coast Snake Catchers 24/7 currently star on TV show Aussie Snake Wranglers, which airs on National Geographic.
Watch a trailer for Aussie Snake Wranglers here:
Shivé Prema
I am a video journalist and host of the Newcastle Herald TikTok account! I spend most of my days filming and editing videos but also like to write articles as well. I'm new to Newcastle, so I like to spend my spare time exploring this city and its many beaches.
I am a video journalist and host of the Newcastle Herald TikTok account! I spend most of my days filming and editing videos but also like to write articles as well. I'm new to Newcastle, so I like to spend my spare time exploring this city and its many beaches.
