Huge Snake Found Coiled Up in Kid's Toy Box

A huge coastal carpet python has been found coiled up in a kid's toy box at a home in Australia.

Snake catcher Brandon Wilkinson of Snake Catchers Brisbane & Gold Coast was called to a home in Ashgrove, Greater Brisbane to remove the unwanted visitor.

Pictures posted to Facebook show the snake resting in the box of brightly colored toys.

"This Carpet Python just wanted to join in and play with the toys too. Unfortunately though, he wasn't invited," Wilkinson said in a Facebook post.

Carpet pythons are non-venomous snakes that live throughout Australia. Coastal carpet pythons can be found across most suburbs in Greater Brisbane and will sometimes slither into properties in search of shelter.

Wilkinson told Newsweek that the snake had gotten in through an open window.

"Likely felt very vulnerable, so he curled up in something small and secure," he said.

Despite having a fearsome reputation, snakes do not look to harm humans unless directly provoked.

Thanks to its position in the Southern Hemisphere, the weather is beginning to warm up in Australia, marking the beginning of the snake season.

Snakes are more active in warm weather, meaning conflicts with humans become more likely. But most snakes found within homes are looking for shade and dark places to hide from the sun.

Wilkinson said that the removal of the python was not difficult as the snake was not aggressive.

"Most python jobs are fairly straight-forward for a trained catcher. The snakes are normally well tempered, of course it depends a lot on the circumstances," Wilkinson said.

"A snake that's been harassed by the pet dog, the cat, or the neighbor who tried catching it themselves will of course be a lot more agitated…[Coastal carpet pythons] have around 80 recurved (backwards facing) teeth, so they can give a nasty bite. However, if left alone, they're 100% harmless."

Coastal carpet pythons are one of the largest snakes found in the Greater Brisbane and Sunshine Coast areas. They normally grow up to 11 feet in length but in exceptional cases can reach 13 feet.

As a non-venomous species, carpet pythons are extremely strong and kill their prey by suffocation. After coiling their body around the prey, every time it takes a breath, the python will constrict more and more, until eventually the victim dies. The snake then swallows it whole.

They usually feast on rodents, possums, reptiles, birds and frogs but some particularly large carpet pythons can feast on small cats, dogs and chickens.