An Australian family called for help this week after a venomous red-bellied black snake was found lurking under sliding doors in their home.
Reptile relocation expert Stuart McKenzie, of Sunshine Coast Snake Catchers 24/7, responded to the call. He released footage of the snake to his Facebook account on Tuesday showing how it was able to slither under an entrance to the property.
"You can see him in there just hiding," McKenzie can be heard saying in the clip, taken from the home in the Queensland suburb of Wurtulla in front of the alarmed residents. "Just shows how incredible they are fitting into small areas," he added.
In the footage, which has attracted hundreds of reactions and comments from users on the social network, the snake wrangler is seen using a hook to guide the 2-foot snake from the gap under the door, grabbing its tail and guiding it into a large bag.
"They are generally active during the day so he was probably going to stay in there all night and sleep it off," McKenzie told the homeowner in the video. "It just shows that even when [sliding doors] are shut some snakes can get into the channel."
He added that, due to the species' sleeping patterns, it's not often he is called to relocate a red-bellied black snake at night. "Isn't he stunning, what a good looking snake," the catcher said to the camera as he was releasing the reptile back into the bushland.
Red Belly Hiding In Sliding Door Tracks! Crazy!Snakes can even get inside when the sliding doors are shut! There is a tiny gap under a sliding glass...
According to a profile from the Australian Museum, the average size of a red-bellied black snake adult is between 4.9 feet and 6.6 feet.
Unlike some other venomous snakes in the region, such as the brown, it's considered a shy species that will only deliver a serious bite when put under severe distress. It is one of the most frequently encountered snakes on the east coast of Australia.
"For its size, the red-bellied black snake is probably the least dangerous elapid snake in Australia. Despite the number of bites received every year, very few human deaths have resulted," an Australian Museum fact-sheet about the species says.
McKenzie used the video to demonstrate how this smaller species of venomous snake can sneak into unexpected—even seemingly closed—areas of the home.
"There is a tiny gap under a sliding glass door sometimes where snakes can squeeze into... and come out the other end into a house," he wrote in a Facebook caption.
"This is crazy where this 2 foot red-bellied black snake had wedged itself down into. The family didn't notice him until they closed the door and found the snake hiding. The pet cat also noticed the snake but luckily the family acted quickly and got the cat away."
On December 24, McKenzie released footage of his capture of a 6-foot brown snake he said "decided to go for a dip in the waves at Mooloolaba Beach." Considered one of the world's deadliest snakes, it was caught in a drain near a children's playground.
On December 1, he shared a video of an encounter with a red-bellied black snake that entered a home to escape the heat and was hiding behind some kitchen cupboards.
