Falling tangle of snakes catch cafe goers by surprise

‘We were walking past the cafe when I heard a loud noise on the roof above me’

A tangle of snakes at the Mackay Botanic Garden. Picture: Leesa Baldwin Photography

A NOVICE photographer in the right place at the exact right time captured the incredible spectacle of two carpet snakes tangling at a Mackay cafe after falling off the roof.

Glenden miner Leesa Baldwin said her family was walking through the Mackay Botanic Gardens on Saturday when they were caught off guard.

"We were walking past the cafe when I heard a loud noise on the roof above me," Mrs Baldwin said.

The two carpet snakes in a tussle on the roof of the Mackay Botanic Gardens cafe. Picture: Leesa Baldwin Photography

"Everyone strolling past was in shock at the two large carpet snakes wrapped around the edge of the roof, mating.

 

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"It did not take long before they unexpectedly fell and hit the ground with a thud."

Is this a case of right place, right time, or a definite wrong place, wrong time? Picture: Leesa Baldwin Photography

Mrs Baldwin, who is currently studying her Diploma of Photography and Photo Imaging, said she was fortunate to take some snaps before they slithered away.

Groups of people had also gathered to watch and film the spectacle with their pones, she said.

Have you spotted carpet snakes lately? Email us at [e-mail]. Picture: Leesa Baldwin Photography

"It was an extremely rare act of nature to witness at such a public place," she said.

But Mackay and Sarina snake catcher Heather Lampe said the tangled carpet pythons were likely in combat.

"Mating is really boring," Mrs Lampe said.

"The male will lay on top of the female and they'll just wrap their tails around each other and stay like that for half an hour.

"Combating is more animated - the two males are fighting over the female.

"They keep coiling and coiling around each other.

"It's basically a fight for whoever's got the most energy and can keep their head up the longest."

Mackay and Sarina Snake Removal owner Heather Lampe with a large eastern brown snake. She said two male eastern browns were in combat in the middle of the road at Hay Point last week.

Mrs Lampe said there was one female and two male resident carpet snakes at the Mackay Botanic Gardens that usually hung around the rafters.

And the female will mate more than once during mating season, she said.

"When I was there last week, the male and female were mating," she said.

"I was literally underneath them.

"I was like, 'Oh don't drop fluids in my coffee, that would be bad'.

"The male was pretty keen, I think he wanted to cuddle her.

"She was not keen at all, she just slithered away."

 

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Mrs Lampe said if you saw the snake duos, sit back and enjoy the sight from a safe distance.

"Even though they're just pythons, if they're combating or mating, it's like a trance state.

"They're so focused on what they're doing, they don't really notice anyone around them."

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