An Australian woman was stunned last Thursday when she found a huge black snake hanging from the water dispenser of her refrigerator. Gill Aurect discovered the snake, estimated to be about 80 cm (31 inches) long, on January 13 in the outdoor entertainment area of her home in Adelaide Hills. "This was in my friend’s fridge yesterday. To make it worse her son was bitten by a venomous snake when he was just 6 years old so this was extremely traumatic for her," Gillian Fennell tweeted.
It appears the snake was seeking relief from the scorching heat and ended up somewhat stuck in the fridge. Fortunately, Gill remained calm, and her neighbors called a professional snake catcher. This incident attracted significant attention both locally and nationally. Meanwhile, in another part of Australia, the same species was spotted hiding under a coffee machine in a restaurant.
Red-bellied black snakes (Pseudechis porphyriacus) are common along the east coast of Australia. They are known to be venomous but are non-aggressive and rarely bite unless provoked. There are reportedly no confirmed deaths caused by their bites, and they are less toxic than other Australian snakes in the Elapidae family. However, their venom can cause unpleasant symptoms such as bleeding, swelling, headaches, abdominal pain, nausea, vomiting, diarrhea, and muscle weakness.
It is worth noting that finding snakes near homes is not uncommon in Australia. In hot weather, they tend to appear in cooler spots, such as behind air conditioners, under refrigerators, in toilets, or in the crevices of retaining walls.
