One family in Queensland has had a very unwelcome surprise when their feline left an “unexpected present” under the family Christmas tree.
The family’s pet cat caught and dropped a venomous red-bellied black snake under their Christmas tree earlier this week.
Photos uploaded by Gunter Glaser, from Darling Downs Snake Catchers, show the reptile curled inauspiciously amongst a pile of presents.
Glasser told 9news.com.au the snake was relatively small, measuring around 60 centimetres.
Both the snake and the cat were unharmed in the incident.
“The cat wasn’t bitten and quite proud of itself ,” he said.
“Thankfully, the snake had no negative effect from the cat carrying it.”
Gunter said he relocated the snake to bushland by a creek.
“The family are snake lovers, but didn’t want to touch it,” he said,
“It was an unexpected Christmas present.”
There have no recorded deaths from red-bellied black snakes in Australia, but the snakes are considered venomous and dangerous to humans.
According to the Australian Museum symptoms of envenomation include: bleeding and/or swelling at the bite site, nausea, vomiting, headache, abdominal pain, diarrhoea, sweating, local or general muscle pain, weakness, and red-brown urine.
Glasser previously told 9news.com.au sometimes people don’t even realise they have been bitten, as there’s often no pain from a bite.
The experienced snake catcher was bitten by a venomous eastern brown snake last month and rushed to hospital.
