See the dangerous unwanted gift a pet cat dropped among the presents under a family’s Christmas tree
- Family cat leaves unwanted Christmas present under the family’s Christmas tree
- Queensland family find a red-bellied black snake in between Christmas presents
- Snake catcher Gunter Glaser said the snake was small and about 60 centimetres
A family has received an unwelcome gift from their cat after it dropped a venomous snake between a pile of presents under the Christmas tree.
The Queensland family’s feline friend caught a red-bellied black snake and then carried it to their tree.
Gunter Glasser from Darling Downs Snake Catchers said he was called out to the property in Hampton, west of Brisbane, to capture the snake which he shared on his Facebook page.
A family has received an unwelcome gift from their cat after it dropped a venomous snake between a pile of presents under the Christmas tree
The cat managed to escape injury and the 60cm red-bellied black snake was soon relocated
Mr Glasser said the cat managed to avoid any injury and there was ‘no real damage’ sustained by the snake.
The snake catcher told 9News the slithery specimen was quite small, around 60 centimetres in length.
‘The cat wasn’t bitten and quite proud of itself,’ Mr Glasser said.
‘The family are snake lovers but didn’t want to touch it.
‘It was an unexpected Christmas present.’
Red-bellied black snakes are considered venomous and dangerous to humans.
Mr Glasser – who was recently hospitalised after being bitten by a brown snake – said people often don’t realise they have been bitten by the species as there is sometimes only minimal pain from a bite.
The encounter comes during a spike in snake sightings across Australia as the slithery reptiles venture into backyards and homes searching for food.
Rising temperatures in the country’s east have resulted in snakes getting out and about as they look for a mate and a meal, now the winter cold is over.
While snakes don’t hibernate in the colder months, they go into a state known as ‘brumation’ where they will sleep for long periods meaning they are less active and therefore hunt less.
