If you think your home is safe from snakes because you keep your doors closed, think again. A hair-raising viral video shared by a professional snake catcher shows just how ineffective doors are at keeping venomous snakes at bay – they can simply slither beneath them.
The footage, shared by Melbourne, Australia-based snake catcher, Mark Pelley, shows a venomous eastern brown snake slowly working its massive body through the tiny gap beneath a door. In addition to being fierce predators, snakes are also master contortionists.
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“Eastern brown snakes – even a large one like this – have the ability to flatten themselves out and gradually squeeze under tiny gaps under doors,” the snake catcher explained.
The horrifying video has now gone viral across multiple platforms, with countless social media users expressing their terror at the sight of a venomous snake casually making its way under a door meant to keep the outside – and everything that comes with it – out.
“This is the 500th reason why I will never go to Australia!” one horrified user wrote. “Thanks now I won’t sleep ever again,” another said. “How do people sleep at night in Australia? I could never!” added a third.
Reptile Catcher Urges Against Harming Venomous Snakes
According to Pelley, the snake maneuvering its way beneath the door was a large 5.5-foot eastern brown, the second most venomous snake on Earth. This species of snake is so deadly, just 1/14,000 of an ounce of venom is enough to kill an adult human. They’re responsible for the majority of snake bite fatalities in Australia.
Despite these terrifying facts, however, Pelley urged against harming a snake that enters your home. “If you see a snake, do NOT attempt to harm it,” he said.
Now, eastern brown snakes are known for being extremely aggressive, but this isn’t quite true. Rather than acting out of aggression, eastern browns act out of fear. They’re highly anxious animals and will typically flee instead of attacking. When they do attack, it’s because they felt threatened, not because they’re man hunting monsters.
Believe it or not, killing snakes – even the venomous varieties – is actually illegal in Australia. It not only puts the person attempting to kill it in direct harm but damages the country’s delicate ecosystem.
As predators, snakes keep prey populations under control. Without snakes, the world’s populations of frogs, rats, slugs, and other small species would spiral to astronomical numbers. “It is important to understand they have an important role in nature so don’t harm them,” Pelley said.
Because of their unparalleled skill to squeeze themselves through impossibly small spaces, encounters with eastern brown snakes aren’t at all uncommon in Australia. Pelley insisted, however, that every unwanted snake encounter should be handled by a professional. Calling a snake catcher is the best way to protect yourself, your family, and your pets.
