Nail-Biting Video Shows Deadly Snake in 'Strike Mode' As Catcher Tries to Capture It
A snake catcher has rescued an eastern brown snake considered the second-most venomous in the world from under a kayak in Queensland, Australia.
A video showed the moment Luke Huntley, owner and operator of Snake Catcher Noosa 24/7, pulled the snake from under kayaks on the banks of the Noosa River on October 8.
The snake catcher describes being called out to the river in a Facebook post, which can be seen here. "I was called out to O Boat hire where they'd seen a big brown snake go underneath the kayaks right on the waterfront in the middle of Gympie terrace. Smack bang in the middle of everything," Huntley wrote. "This beautiful Eastern Brown Snake had found a hiding place under the kayaks with all the people around it had got itself into a bit of a pickle and was doing its best to stay hidden."
The video, which was viewed 35,000 times, shows Huntley pulling the snake from under the rental kayaks. His companion remarks that the snake is in "strike mode." As Huntley brings himself level to the eastern brown snake's hiding place, his companion is heard saying "You're crazy!" and asked Huntley to "keep that away from me."
After successfully rescuing the snake, Huntley released it back into the wild safely.
Huntley is no stranger to eastern brown snakes. The snake catcher rescued another member of the species from inside an oven on Tuesday.
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Commenting on the video of the oven rescue, Huntley remarked: "I've caught 4 Eastern Brown Snakes today, they are everywhere! Been running around all day for them."
The snake catcher from Noosa, Queensland, Australia, said that the species of reptiles are particularly active during the month of October.
This is because October is a late spring month for Australians, and the Australian Museum explains that this marks the mating season for the cold-blood venomous creature.
The eastern brown snake is found throughout eastern Australia, from Queensland to South Australia. An isolated population of the snake species is found in the country's central and western Northern Territory. It can be identified by its brown skin, ranging from near-black to light tan, chestnut, or even burnt-orange.
The creatures exist on a diet of frogs, other reptiles, birds, and small mammals. The eastern brown snake prefers habitats with open landscapes such as woodlands, scrublands, and savannah grasslands, but it copes remarkably well in the suburban areas of towns and cities.
Because of this, the eastern brown snake is the most commonly encountered snake in Australia. According to the Australian Museum, the snake is an alert and nervous species and will therefore react defensively to human intrusion will very little hesitation.
If encountered the eastern brown snake will react fiercely, raising its head and front part of its body off the ground. Its neck is positioned in such a way that it meets the threat side-on rather than face to face.
If particularly threatened, the eastern brown snake will open its mouth, shape its body as a raised S-shape so that it is prepared to strike. Whether this type of snake attacks or slithers away seems to depend strongly on its body temperature at the time of an encounter.
Their bite is often initially painless as the reptile has short fangs for a venomous snake, growing only to around 3 millimeters (a tenth of an inch). Likewise, the amount of venom delivered in a single bite is small.
Yet, what this venom lacks in quantity it more than makes up in potency, which has led it to be considered the second most venomous snake in the world after the inland taipan.
A successful bite can result in progressive paralysis and uncontrollable bleeding. That means any suspected bite should be treated as a medical emergency.
Perhaps unsurprisingly, this species of snake has killed more people in Australia than any other.
It's little wonder Huntley is looking forward to being called out to deal with a different species of snake. The snake catcher wrote on his Facebook page: "Wouldn't mind grabbing a big Redbelly soon. I love catching Brown snakes but I miss pythons."
