Australian Woman Finds World’s Second-Most Venomous Snake In Daughter’s Drawer

Eastern brown snakes have the second most toxic venom of all land snakes worldwide.

When it comes to Australia, snakes can be found just about anywhere. A cause of major concern in the country, residents often spot these creepy reptiles lurking around in their homes and offices. Recently, a woman was left terrified after she discovered the second-most venomous snake in the world in her three-year-old daughter’s underwear drawer.

Australian snake hunter Mark Pelley was called to remove the 5-foot Eastern brown snake from the toddler’s bedroom, as per the New York Post.

He shared a video of the rescue on Facebook and wrote, ”Pelley described the incident on Facebook, writing, “Mum went to get some clothes for her son and found a large five-foot eastern brown snake instead. We figured out what happened. She carried in folded washing yesterday and as she was taking clothes from [the] clothesline, [the] brown snake crawled into it.”

Many on Facebook were surprised as to how the mother missed noticing the brown snake and carried it back to the knickers drawer. Mr Pelley informed that these reptiles are lightweight, and people tend to be oblivious to them.

”They weigh next to nothing and seriously — this can happen to anyone. I’ve seen people carry brown snakes in their handbags or otherwise shopping bags. One day this could happen to you,” he explained.

As per data from the University of Melbourne’s Australian Venom Research Unit, Eastern brown snakes have the second most toxic venom of all land snakes worldwide. According to Newsweek, their venom contains a powerful neurotoxin, which progressively paralyzes the victim’s nerves in their heart, lungs, and diaphragm, eventually causing suffocation.

According to the Department of Environment and Science in Queensland, the species is most active during the day and can bite if provoked.

“This species is common throughout the eastern half of Australia and is particularly abundant in farmland and suburban areas where they can find their favourite prey: rats and mice. Because these snakes can thrive in suburban areas this also means that humans can come across them quite often,” Alessandro Palci, a reptile researcher at Flinders University in Australia, previously told Newsweek. 

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