Highly venomous snake found in toy basket at Coast home

A snake encounter at a Maroochydore home was enough to send shivers down experienced snake catcher Stuart McKenzie’s spine.

Stuart McKenzie was called to a Bradman Ave home after a family found a large red bellied black snake in a toy basket.

A snake encounter at a Maroochydore home was enough to send shivers down experienced snake catcher Stuart McKenzie's spine.

A large, fat red bellied black snake was found hiding in the toy basket at a Bradman Ave family home on Friday.

Mr McKenzie, of Sunshine Coast Snake Catcher 24/7, said it was lucky the mother and daughter saw the snake, before they accidentally put their hands anywhere near it.

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When he received the phone call Mr McKenzie expected to arrive and find a small, two foot long snake.

"As I started moving the dolls around I uncovered parts of its back and it was double the size I expected," Mr McKenzie told the Daily.

Stuart McKenzie was called to a Bradman Ave home after a family found a large red bellied black snake in a toy basket.

"As it started moving around that was when I realised how big it was."

The highly venomous snake was found in the front room of the Bradman Ave home, where it was suspected to have slithered inside while the front door was open.

"They'd had that door open and the snake has come in through that door," he said.

Mr McKenzie said it was rare to see a snake of that kind in Maroochydore, particularly at a home on the busy Bradman Ave stretch.

He said while the family was shocked at first, they were in good spirits by the time he arrived.

The grandmother could be heard saying "isn't it beautiful" as she filmed Mr McKenzie retrieving the snake from the basket.

Stuart McKenzie was called to a Bradman Ave home after a family found a large red bellied black snake in a toy basket.

"It's unlikely that a snake is going to go out of its way to bite, but if they had accidentally put their hand next to its head, it could have bitten them," he said.

"They're not as bad as an eastern brown, but that would still be a trip to hospital and it could have been very dangerous if it bit a child."

The snake was relocated to bushland, away from homes.

Mr McKenzie reminded residents that if they see a snake, call a snake catcher.

"I've had a few people call lately who have tried to catch a snake themselves," he said.

"If you see a snake don't go near it, don't take it into your own hands, call a snake catcher. "We can give advice or come out and relocate it."

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