Highly Venomous 'Beast' Snake Found Inside Family Home

The year got off to a terrifying start for one family when a huge snake found its way into their home.

The snake was found underneath the family's Christmas tree at a home on the outskirts of Brisbane, in eastern Australia. After the family contacted Brisbane North Snake Catcher, Tiarnah Kingaby arrived and captured the beast.

"Absolute beast of a red belly black snake that she caught hiding inside, yes you heard that correct!! INSIDE a family's home out at Brookwater in the Ipswich / Logan region!" wrote Brisbane North Snake Catcher in a Facebook post.

"WOW wouldn't want to come face to face with this one in the middle of the night," wrote one commenter under the post.

While the family initially thought the snake was a different species, it turned out to be a much more dangerous and venomous snake.

"They thought it was a non venomous carpet python that they saw under the Christmas tree," a spokesperson from Brisbane North Snake Catcher told Newsweek.

"My catcher Tiarnah turned up under the impression it was also going to be a carpet python, but when she got close enough to see, she soon realized it was a highly venomous species not a carpet python."

The snake was in fact a red-bellied black snake, which is commonly found along the east coast of Australia. These snakes can grow up to 4 feet long, and have a distinctive red underbelly that gives them their name.

Red-bellied black snakes are venomous, but they are one of Australia's less deadly venomous snakes. Between 2005 and 2015, red-bellied black snakes were responsible for 16 percent of all Australian snake bites, none of which resulted in death. The dosage of venom required to kill half the members of a tested population (known as the median lethal dose) is 2.52 mg of venom per kg. When milked, red-bellied black snakes produce an average of 37 mg of venom.

In contrast, the median lethal dose of a black mamba, one of the most venomous snakes in the world, is 0.05 mg/kg, with each bite administering between 50 and 100 mg of venom.

Despite their lower lethality compared to many other snakes, a bite from a red-bellied black snake can still be incredibly painful, and result in a number of negative side effects. Their venom contains neurotoxins, myotoxins (enzymes that break down muscle tissue), and coagulants, which lead to swelling, excessive bleeding, and even local necrosis at the site of the bite, which could require amputation.

Bite victims may also experience a loss of smell, known as anosmia, which can last a short while or be permanent.

Do you have an animal or nature story to share with Newsweek? Do you have a question about venomous snakes? Let us know via science@newsweek.com.

Uncommon Knowledge

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