My early morning wake-up call to a metre-long carpet python

Living in the middle of a city, I never thought I’d wake to a metre-long carpet python underneath my home.

Living in the city, you would expect to be woken by cars rushing past, and not what I was woken by this morning.

It was about 4am, the city’s reasonably quiet for a Saturday morning until I hear my dog’s ear-screeching bark.

Now, he doesn’t do this bark often, and it’s only ever for one reason – a desperate call for attention.

Brisbane snake catcher Josh Castle carefully removes a metre-long python from under a city home. Picture: Isabella Magee

His definition of desperation varies from mine, so, I assume a bird flying above, what he has claimed as his territory, sparked his yelp.

Yet, when it didn’t stop, I investigated.

And what a strange bird I was greeted by, when my one-year-old cocker spaniel Henry led me to a metre-long carpet python, resting underneath the house, between wooden batons.

A little shocked living in the city to see a carpet python, I did exactly what Queensland Environment stresses to do in these situations – get a snake catcher.

The video shows Brisbane Snake Catcher Josh Castle carefully removing the snake and placing him in a cloth bag to rehome safely in close-by bushland.

Mr Castle said it’s uncommon for snakes to be slithering around in the heart of the city, but it still happens.

“Snakes are less common in the city, but people that live in the city need to realise that they still are definitely there,” Mr Castle told The Courier-Mail.

“It’s amazing where (snakes) can fit, you will be incredibly surprised”.

This particular reptile may be legless but their attacks can still be lethal.

Growing up to four metres long, Mr Castle reminds people carpet pythons “are a constrictor,” and although not directly out to get your fur babies, sometimes things turn to the worst.

“(Carpet pythons) aren’t purposely out to get your cat or dog … but I’ve noticed (pets can) get themselves in trouble with snakes, due to aggravating the snake,

“We have to remember, snakes can’t tell a dog to leave them alone, or push a dog away like we can, all they have to defend themselves is their mouth.”