Don’t look up – there’s a snake in the skylight
This terrifying sight confronted a woman living in Adelaide’s southern suburbs – check out the video.
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You’ve heard of a tree snake, you’ve probably seen a copperhead or two but have you ever heard of the rare Southern Bathroom Snake?
An Onkaparinga Hills woman came virtually face-to-face with what experts say was likely an eastern brown snake, slithering inside the skylight in her bathroom.
Homeowner Armanda Holland – who lives at the house with her husband, two daughters and two new puppies – said she was shocked to discover the snake slithering in her ensuite skylight, which is not sealed and often blows up leaving gaps.
“At first I thought it was a twig or leaf – I even went and stood underneath it.
“Then it started that distinctive wave movement and I realised it was a snake.’
Mrs Holland said she shut the door and put a towel up against it and called Adelaide Snake Catchers.
She said the family was “snake savvy” and vigilant about clearing paths, wearing shoes and watching the ground when they walked.
“But they couldn’t find this one and knowing the skylight wasn’t sealed and that it could squeeze through the heat lamps, well, my daughters haven’t been to happy.
“I’ve had a few nights where I’ve slept on the couch instead of the bed near the bathroom.”
Snake Catchers Adelaide’s Monique Burrell was called to the home on Monday.
“When she said it’s in the bathroom, we thought OK, a straightforward catch – and then she points up to the skylight,”” Ms Burrell said.
“I’ve never seen that before.”
Ms Burrell said it was almost certainly an adult eastern brown, about 80cm long.
“We had a really good look in the roof and through the bathroom but we couldn’t find it.
“The homeowner said there was often Kookaburras and two wedge-tails in her garden so perhaps a bird picked up the snake and dropped it on the roof, or perhaps it managed to slither up through the air vents at the side of the house.
“She searched the bathroom and the roof and around the house but no snake was to be found – she was obviously nervous about that.”
Ange Broadstock from Snake Catchers Adelaide added that snakes in the roof was “not a common occurrence”.
“Snakes can be difficult to find in roofs as there’s so many places for them to hide with insulation etc.
“Obviously in a roof it’s warm and usually a food source for them like mice and rats.”
Eastern brown snakes are considered one of the most deadly snakes in the world, next to the Australian inland taipan.
The species grow to an average adult size of about 1.5m, and according to the Australian Museum, the largest reliably measured specimen was 2.013m.
Snake Catchers Adelaide owner Rolly Burrell said snake season had started about six weeks earlier that usual in mid-August.
He said, once caught, snakes are re-released in remote areas away from people.