Happy Amphibian Awareness Week 2023 | Smithsonian's National Zoo and Conservation Biology Institute

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'Absolutely Petrified': Surprise Tourist Snakes A Way To The Capital

A Curtin family had an uninvited visitor slither by this holiday season - a carpet python that ventured far from home.

Michele Lamb and her family found the 1.3-metre snake in the middle of the driveway just before New Year's Eve.

"I was absolutely petrified," she said.

"It also looked like it had eaten something, you could see a bulge in the middle of it.

"Luckily, because it was in the middle of the driveway, we had easy sight of it."

While the carpet python isn't venomous, it has small sharp teeth that can cause lacerations.

Ms Lamb called ACT Snake Removals and then kept a torch on the python which slid its way to the neighbour's yard before it was swiftly picked up by snake catchers.

Gavin Smith from ACT Snake Removals with a 1.3-metre carpet python. Picture by Gary Ramage

She said they quickly identified the animal as a coastal carpet python, which is not native to Canberra.

The snake was later identified as an inland carpet python, typically found along the Murray-Darling Basin in Queensland, New South Wales, Victoria and South Australia.

ACT Snake Removals founder Gavin Smith said this meant the snake was either an escaped pet, had been illegally released or had hitchhiked to the capital. He believed the latter was the most likely scenario.

"Usually when someone loses a pet snake, they will report it to ACT Licensing and Compliance and they will then be on the lookout for a snake. So far no one has claimed it," he said.

"Also the behaviour it is exhibiting, to me as someone who works with snakes every single day, would suggest that it's a wild snake, in terms of it's not used to being handled.

"Most captive snakes tend to be quite easy to handle but this one, we've all found it to be quite agitated. That would make me think that it's a wild snake that's been transported accidentally to Canberra."

Mr Smith said it was possible the snake found refuge in a vehicle or container that was then transported to Canberra.

He added this was not uncommon.

"Only a few days ago, we had a red belly [that] had been transported from the South Coast back to Canberra," he said.

"The people had seen the snake entering the car, they'd left the car open for a few hours ... And hoped the snake had come out itself but it didn't. It stayed in the car and came all the way to Canberra."

Gavin Smith from ACT Snake Removals with a 1.3-metre coastal carpet python. Picture by Gary Ramage

Mr Smith said the carpet python would either be returned to its owner or given to a licensed reptile keeper to care for.

"Because we don't know where the snake has come from, we can't just drive up to Queensland and let it go. They're very sensitive to where they are," he said.

"I suspect, sadly, this is not an escapee, it's a snake that's come from up north and will have to stay the rest of his life in Canberra as a captive snake. It's very sad but ... That's the law."

Mr Smith urged residents to call a licensed snake handler and keep away from any snakes causing a hazard.

Carpet Pythons Found Abandoned In Cardboard Box In Doncaster

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'We've Got A Passenger Riding In The Washing Machine': Python Narrowly Escapes The Spin Cycle

A carpet python who had cozied up in a washing machine at a home in Moreton Bay, Queensland, was recently spared a spin cycle that would "scare the heck out of him".

Footage of the snake's removal from Sunshine Coast Snake Catchers shows handler Brandon Gifford putting the machine's "passenger" in the spotlight before he proceeds to "tickle" the python in order to get it out.

"Goodness, that was a lot of hassle for you mate," Gifford can be heard saying, pointing out that the snake's well-fed belly made it hard to dislodge it from its hiding place.

Gifford later released the snake into more suitable environs. Credit: Stuart McKenzie via Storyful

Video transcript

- [CHUCKLES]

- Hi, mate.

BRANDON GIFFORD: Easy as. Well, g'day and welcome to [INAUDIBLE]. We have got a passenger riding in the washing machine. And he did not want this to go on a spin cycle. That would've scared the heck out of him. So the hard thing with these is the drum, obviously, that they can get down to.

So I'll just always secure the tail and then try and work the rest of him back up. So come on, mate. There we go. He's going to come around this side, actually. All right. This is the joys of having a carpet python curl up down in the washing machine. Jeez, I don't deal with this very often.

Come on. And you've just got to basically tickle them. I'll move this back a little bit. There we go. Come on. Feed back up.

I wonder-- obviously, don't want to hurt him, so we got to feed him out through here. Go, mate. Yeah, he has had a food item. I'm feeling like it must be like a rat or something.

- Just a barrel, there's no pipes. But it could be the shape of the barrel itself.

BRANDON GIFFORD: Yeah. There's something I can--

- Practice [INAUDIBLE]--

BRANDON GIFFORD: There's something I can wrap my hand around down there. What is that? In fact, what I might do, might save us a whole bunch of grief. Just ditch the G shock. There we go. Now I can get that arm down there. Come on, baby.

Story continues

Yeah, what is that you've got your head through?

OK. There you go. He's going to bring himself back up now.

- Girls, get ready. He'll come out soon with a bit of luck. There he comes. He's backing out.

BRANDON GIFFORD: Bring your head out slowly. There you go. Goodness, that was a lot of hassle for you, mate. That's our little washing machine invader. And you can see he's got the lump right in his belly there.

- He's had a feed this morning.

BRANDON GIFFORD: He made me work today.

- Yeah.

[CHUCKLES]

BRANDON GIFFORD: Oh, well, he's a very, very pretty little carpet snake.

- He is.

BRANDON GIFFORD: But yeah. Just so glad he didn't go through a cycle because you wouldn't have come out looking the same, would you? You would've been a bit shinier.

OK, well, we'll put him straight into the bag. And we'll get him away from all the washing machines. Far out. There you go, mate. OK, well, thanks for that.

- And all the best, thank you.

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