A Queensland resident sitting on the toilet got the shock of his life when he spotted the piercing eyes of an unwanted slithery visitor lounging on the top of his shower near a heat lamp.
Anthony Jackson from Hudson Snake Catching attended the Oxenford property on Wednesday morning after receiving a call from the startled man who was interrupted by a 22lb snake while trying to go about his business.
“Old mate on the toilet when he first saw me told me ‘mate it scared the s–t out of me’,” he told news.com.au.
Between five to six feet in length, footage of the coastal carpet python shows it towering over the bathroom as it lazes about on the shower frame and a few bottles of shampoo sitting on a rack.
Mr. Jackson, who used to be a wildlife photographer before joining the snake-catching trade about a year ago, arrived at the unusual scene within nine minutes of receiving the plea for help.
“After I stopped having a laugh for a few minutes, I got the hook and took it down and then it was cranky …(because) I removed it from the heat lamp which is where it was finding comfort,” he said.
While it only took the rookie snake catcher 30 seconds to get the “curious” python down from its resting place, it wasn’t prepared to go down without a fight.
“It tried to bite me … I’m thinking it was kind of a predator thing because it looked down and saw me as a food item,” Mr. Jackson explained.
“But once I took it down with a hook and put it into a pillow case, I rescued it and put it in the wild with all the other ones.”
The large python made quite the journey to get into the bathroom, with Mr. Jackson explaining tree removal in the area potentially led to the awkward situation.
“Behind the house they’ve been cutting out a lot of trees and whether or not it’d be living at that property, it had been disturbed,” he said.
It’s understood the snake got lucky as it crossed the road before making its way up a wall and into a tree that had branches that hang over the roof of the Oxenford house.
“It got into the roof and because there’s always rodents it had a feed and then because of the cold, it found the heat lamp in the bathroom.”
For Mr. Jackson, what he found most funny about the whole situation was the fact the homeowner had a pet python, yet was still startled by the intruder in their bathroom.
Despite their large size, Mr. Jackson said pythons are curious but mostly harmless snakes if left alone.
“A year ago I was petrified of them, and now I think they’re beautiful. It just goes to show that education is the key with anything,” he said.
“They can punch a hell of a bite though so you‘ve got to treat them with respect and that’s why when we handle them, I like to use my body as a tree and … they will kind of forget about me.”
Thankfully, venomous snakes are mostly in hiding in the cooler months however pythons are known to lurk around all year, with Mr Jackson catching up to three a day in the last week.
“Just treat them with respect and you will get respect back, but you don‘t want to find them when you’ve been on the toilet,” he joked.
Australians who find themselves in a situation where a snake is present are urged to call a snake catcher straight away.
“The best thing you can do is call a snake catcher, even if it’s for advice on what to do.” Mr. Jackson said, before warning it’s illegal to kill a snake or touch them without a reptile license.
“If it’s on the property and it does need to be removed, call a snake handler.”
Anyone who sees a snake in their yard is urged to not panic and to back away to a safe distance that allows the reptile to move away.
“It is important that you never try to kill the snake,” the Queensland Department of Environment and Science said on its website.
“Not only is it illegal to kill a native animal, but it places you at a higher risk of being bitten if you force the snake to defend itself.”
Those living in snake-infested areas are encouraged to close internal doors in the house, block gaps underneath internal doors with rolled-up towels and place chairs and boxes under open windows to help snakes escape.
“If there is a chance that a snake could find its way into your home you should have the number of a commercial snake catcher on hand,” the department said.
