Ingleside: Taylor Miller finds red bellied black snake in her boot

A northern beaches horserider got the fright of her life when she went to check what was inside her boot...

Taylor Miller posted a photograph on social media of a venomous red-bellied black snake she found curled up in her riding boot. Picture: Facebook

• Two boys badly hurt in boat collision
• One woman’s special Dawn Service project

It was a scaly surprise for a northern beaches’ resident when she discovered a special little something lurking in one of her horseriding boots — a venomous red bellied black snake.

Taylor Miller found the curled up serpent staring out at her after her pet pug Bowie sniffed out the snake on Sunday.

Taylor Miller posted a photograph on the Terrey Hills Community Facebook page of a venomous red-bellied black snake curled up in her riding boot. Picture: Facebook

Ms Miller, 27, a dedicated horse rising enthusiast, took a close-up photo of the juvenile reptile and posted it on Facebook, as a reminder to her followers to check their footwear for potential nasties.

Bowie, the year-old pug, started barking and pulling at the leather boot with his teeth while the family was having a midday lunch at their Ingleside property.

“He was really going berserk,” Ms Miller said. “I walked over to where we keep the riding boots and said ‘hey, hey, what are you doing?’. That’s when I saw it.”

Taylor Miller, wearing the boot the snake loved so much. Picture: Supplied

The snake, with its glossy black body, pink belly and gleaming dark eyes was staring out at her while nestled at the bottom of her boot.

Taylor Miller's father, Darren, used a special grabbing tool to pick up the boot with the snake in it so they can release it at the back of their Ingleside property. Picture: Taylor Miller

“We put Bowie in the house, but the snake was pretty chilled, he didn’t want any drama.”

Ms Miller’s dad, Darren, grabbed a gripping tool and clasped the top of the boot shut and carried the snake down to the back of their property to let it go in bushland.

But the surprises didn’t end there.

The more than one metre-long adult red bellied black snake Taylor Miller saw at the back of their property. Picture: Facebook

They came across an adult red belly, more than a metre long, just as they were releasing the juvenile snake.

“We reckoned they might have been related,” Ms Miller said.