A TikToker is challenging people to spot a snake lurking near a child playing in the front yard of his home in Australia.
In the viral video, user @christophercrisp93 asks viewers: “Can you see it? Lucky mum saw it.”
The footage, filmed in rural Queensland, shows a young boy playing with his dog in the yard.
The TikToker added the caption: “The snake sat there for over a minute watching the dog and Lucas play in front of the yard.”
Yhelfman / Anastasia Babkina
As the 27-second video continues, the boy and the dog can be seen moving around the yard, but the snake is not so easy to spot.
Near the end of the clip, the reptile’s location becomes more obvious when the boy’s mother comes into the yard, carrying a younger child. As she moves toward the front gate, she sees the snake and immediately steps back, telling the boy to go inside.
Since being shared on November 13, the video has been watched more than 21 million times and has attracted close to 260,000 likes.
Most TikTokers who commented on the video failed to spot the snake, however, with some questioning whether it was there at all.
Neat Hep posted: “It didn’t move the whole video. Was it dead?”
101sjy wrote: “Imaginary snake.”
Queensland is home to about 120 species of snakes, according to the state government’s Department of Environment and Science. About 65 percent of those are venomous. On the department’s website, wildlife officials explains how snake bites can be avoided.
It said: “Snakes usually prefer to retreat when encountered but, if they feel threatened, they can become defensive. Most snake bites are received by people who try to capture or kill a snake.
“If you encounter a snake, don’t panic. Back away to a safe distance and allow the snake to move away. Snakes often want to escape when disturbed. When left alone, snakes present little or no danger to people.”
The department also advises Queensland homeowners to keep lawns “well maintained and low in height,” not to place garden beds next to the house and to keep the phone number of a professional snake catcher on hand.
On December 7, @christophercrisp93 posted a follow-up clip that zoomed in on the snake. This showed that the snake was outside the yard, near the car—and that it slithered away from the property as soon as the woman approached the gate.
Newsweek has contacted the TikToker for comment.
