Aussies warned about snakes 'on the move' after rare venomous find in living room
"I've seen other Mangrove snakes but not so vibrant as this one."
Aussies are being reminded to look out for unwanted guests inside their home after a "beautiful" yet venomous critter was removed from a home in the 'Top End' – and it wasn't one of the usual suspects.
Local man Rodney Fischer was called to a friend's home after they came across a brightly coloured snake in their living room last weekend.
"Basically a friend called saying they have a snake in their living room, I went out and found the snake curled up under a piece of paper," he recalled to Yahoo News Australia.
Rodney typically comes across pythons, whipsnakes and the odd brown snake, but this time he was surprised to find something quite different.
"It was my first mangrove snake," he said of relocating the small yellow and black creature.
"I've seen other Mangrove snakes but not so vibrant as this one," Rodney wrote online, with many Aussies calling it "gorgeous" and an absolute "beauty".
Aussie property owners warned after 'very unusual' find in backyard tank
Hidden danger at popular Aussie swimming spot: 'People would freak out'
Tradie captures incredible scene on Aussie farm: 'Doing us a favour'
The species was believed to be a Richardson's mangrove snake, with Rodney getting confirmation from a breeder in Darwin. The species (named after naturalist and collector Sir John Richardson) is a venomous snake native to the marine waters of northern Australia and eastern Indonesia. It feeds on fishes and typically grows from about 40cm to 60cms in length.
"Even at this size, I wouldn't like a hit from one of these guys," Rodney said.
Rare encounter comes as snakes 'on the move'
It's certainly unusual to find one in someone's home, but speaking to Yahoo News, Rodney warned snakes are still very much "on the move" at this time of year.
Living in the remote region of East Kimberley, in the very north of Western Australia, Rodney is no stranger to dangerous animals, often cruising the Ord River in his tinnie alongside the region's growing (in more ways than one) population of salt water crocodiles.
While not a registered snake catcher, Rodney often helps relocate them with the blessing of Parks and Wildlife authorities. In this case, he was able to safely move the snake into nearby mangroves. He only regrets not having taken more photos of the rare encounter.
"I'd rather relocate them as usually the home owners [will otherwise] kill them," he said.
"I don't usually like relocating snakes unless they're actually inside the house, if outside and left alone they usually move on."
Croc sightings in Queensland flood waters
On Friday, residents in Far North Queensland were warned about the possibility of displaced crocodiles in floodwaters after the area was hit with more than 600mm of rain in a few days.
"It’s always an issue, always," crocodile expert John Lever told Yahoo News yesterday as authorities continue to deal with the situation heading into the weekend.
"Crocodiles don’t want to be fighting raging torrents all the time so they always swim to the water’s edge and of course, when you get rising water levels the water reach is always changing and going further inland, so they end up further inland.
"Now when the water recedes and particularly in flood zones, crocodiles are left in a waterhole where they’ve never been seen before."
A low pressure system off Cairns has been the focus for Queensland authorities with a wet weekend ahead. Another low in the Gulf of Carpentaria was set to weaken but a system in the Coral Sea near Vanuatu could develop into a cyclone from Sunday.
Areas such as Townsville are already drenched with a string of social media posts claiming to have spotted crocodiles swimming in floodwaters, the Australian Associated Press reported this morning.
The Australian Defence Force has also been briefed as authorities brace for more wet weather.
Do you have a story tip? Email: newsroomau@yahoonews.com.
You can also follow us on Facebook, Instagram, TikTok, Twitter and YouTube.