In the yard of an Australian family, a perilous situation arose when a curious toddler began pursuing a venomous snake, which eventually led to the discovery of a nest containing 110 eggs from various lethal snakes.
On March 9, the Wild Conservation said they received a call from a Sydney-based family who reported the snake issue. According to the family, their yard was infested with ten or more deadly snakes. As a result, snake catchers were dispatched to the scene.
“[They] said they had a brown snake problem, which we get a lot, but this turned out a little different,” Wild Conservation said in a Facebook post.
After being notified, officials from the Wild Conservation took action and started excavation in the yard of the homeowner. During the process, they came across a total of 110 Eastern Brown snake eggs that had already hatched. Based on their observations, it is suspected that these eggs were laid by various female snakes over the course of several years.
The Wild Conservation officials speculated that the female snakes had either established a communal nesting ground or had chosen a fixed location for annual nesting. Additionally, they discovered a 3-foot red-bellied black snake and a 2-foot-long adult Eastern Brown snake underneath a concrete slab, both of which are also venomous.
“The first baby brown showed itself after Kane dug around a little,” Wild Conservation said. “Then as we lifted the slab, a 3ft Red Bellied Black Snake shot out and was quickly captured, and after a bit more poking around, Rachael spotted a 2ft Eastern Brown Snake slithering at full speed from under the slab.”
According to the conservation organization, the oversized snakes displayed signs of having opaque eyes and rough skin, which could potentially be attributed to the availability of a rich food supply in the vicinity, such as frogs, skinks, and juvenile snakes.
“We’ll be back there soon to oversee the removal of the path and safe relocation of any more snakes,” Wild Conservation added.
In Australia, the Eastern Brown snake is responsible for the highest number of snakebite-related deaths when compared to other snake species. This venomous reptile is indigenous to eastern and central parts of the country, as well as southern New Guinea.
The Eastern Brown snake is popular for its hostile temperament and tendency to attack people who inadvertently come into contact with it or startle it. Moreover, it has been observed to travel at speeds of up to 12 miles per hour.
The toxicity level of their venom is ranked as the second highest globally. Their venom comprises a powerful neurotoxin that gradually incapacitates the victim’s respiratory and cardiovascular systems, leading to suffocation as the diaphragm ceases to function.