BIG SNAKE HITCHES LIFT INSIDE ENGINE BAY
A LARGE carpet python has escaped injury after it was found tucked away in the engine bay of a car on the Gold Coast.
Gold Coast and Brisbane Snake Catcher’s Tony Harrison said the 2.5m long snake captured and released at Bonogin about 1pm on Sunday was one of about 15 similar call-outs each year.
The non-venomous snake was seen slithering up a wheel well of the car, prompting a call to Mr Harrison. He said snakes are commonly injured when they hitch a ride on vehicles by becoming tangled in machinery or burning themselves on hot exhausts.
“We usually get a call about this sort of thing once a month or so,” Mr Harrison said. “Sometimes people don’t know, start the car up and the snake either gets burnt on the exhaust or tangled in some pieces they shouldn’t. It’s a very lucky snake. We get 3m jobs a few times a year, but he’s definitely above average. It was extremely easy because he came straight out rather than backing in like they always do. He was chilled out.”
Mr Harrison said the largest carpet python he caught was 3.3m and also found at Bonogin.
He often finds snakes tucked away in strange places around homes and backyards, sometimes after they have been corralled into hiding by pet dogs and cats.
“Snakes can get into the smallest of places. Let your imagination run wild and they’ll end up there. Wherever you can think of,” Mr Harrison said.
The Bulletin has previously covered incidents of snakes hiding in toilets, children’s cots and under beds on the Coast. Mr Harrison advised residents who stumble on a snake in their home or backyard to safely snap a photo, contact a snake catcher and keep an eye on the reptile from a distance. “The snake catcher can let them know what it is, from there they can decide how hard to panic,” he said.
“Never assume what species of snake it is. All too often we hear of stories where people thought it’s a carpet python or something like that, it wasn’t and they’ve ended up getting bitten.”
Venomous snakes found in southeast Queensland include brown snakes, death adders, red-bellied black snakes and taipans.