A Queensland snake catcher has eyed down a massive “weapon of a brown snake” found in a Brisbane backyard after it was spotted getting “up to no good”.
Steven Brown, from Brisbane North Snake Catchers, encountered two of the venomous reptiles in the backyard of a Bunya home on Monday, after receiving reports the two were making mischief at the home’s backdoor.
Immediately the large size of one of the snakes caught the seasoned handler’s attention. Photos captured by Brown show the snake’s body is as thick as a beer bottle.
He told 9news.com.au the large reptile was pushing seven feet, which is nearly two metres.
At one point the brown snake reared at Brown as he ventured a little too close with his camera.
But this didn’t phase the catcher one bit.
“It was great to see such a big eastern brown getting around,” he said.
“I always try get them up in the ‘S’ shape to show people their belly colour.”
Brown added this was the biggest eastern brown snake he had ever caught.
“I’ve seen it a couple times in my lifetime but never in person, or catching one at that,” he said.
“This is as big as they get and are very rarely seen this big.
“Especially now with all the land destruction and development going on.”
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The big snake was caught and relocated.
However, the smaller snake vanished into a retaining wall and was not seen again.
Eastern brown snakes are Australia’s second most venomous land snake, and an untreated bite can kill in under half an hour.
This encounter comes just over a week after an orange eastern brown snake was captured outside a store in Hinkler, Bundaberg.
Jake Stinson, from Jakes Reptile Relocations, insisted the snake’s sunset-orange colouring was unedited, and explained they can come in many shades including brown, black, orange and red.
“I have found most brown snakes in this colour range around the hummock, so this fella’s beauty was a nice surprise on a Main Street,” he said on Facebook.
“I have caught some here in Bundaberg in bronze, jet black and red.
“We’re in for a hectic season”.
Australia’s snake season generally begins September and runs to April as the animals begin breeding.
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