6.5-foot snake found coiled under Christmas tree in Australia home, video shows

A large snake that wasn’t on anyone’s gift list was found hiding under an Australian family’s Christmas tree, and video shows it did not want to leave.

It happened at a Queensland home in Helensvale, and the homeowner called a professional snake catcher to rid her of the irritable carpet python.

Hudson Snake Catching shared video showing the snake had a swollen belly and was likely engaging in a post-dinner nap between the tree and the wall.

“It’s not what this client asked Santa to put under the tree,” the company wrote in a Nov. 23 Facebook post.

It was Chanel Swindley’s home, and she noted the carpet python tried to strike snake catcher Tim Hudson a couple of times, but failed to make “fang contact.” It was not a family pet and definitely not welcomed in the home, she wrote on Facebook.

“I thought my kids had pranked me, to be honest. It was a bit of a shock when I realized it was real,” Swindley told 7NEWS Gold Coast in an interview posted on Facebook.

She believes the 6.5-foot male snake slipped into the home via a sliding door and curled up around a warm portable charger, according to the video.

Hudson saw some humor in the call, noting the snake “didn’t come prancing and pawing, he came sliding and hissing.”

“Every year there’s always an interesting one with a Christmas tree,” he said in a video.

The snake was captured and released in a wilderness area “where he won’t be spooking any more people before Christmas,” Hudson told 7News.

Carpet pythons are an “intimidating” but non-venomous snake that is native to Australia, the Queensland Department of Environment and Science reports. They can reach as much as 13 feet in length, officials say.

This story was originally published November 30, 2023 at 7:36 AM.