Australia: Snakes search for water in toilets

Sydney, Sep 16: Snakes in Australia are hiding in toilets as a lack of rainfall in northern Queensland has them searching for water.

Two carpet pythons have been pulled from two toilets in the north Queensland town of Townsville the past two weeks, while reports have flooded social media of snakes being found near kitchen sinks and drain pipes, Xinhua news agency reported.

"The first one I got in the toilet we actually had to unbolt the toilet to get it out because he just wasn't budging," Townsville volunteer snake catcher Elliot Budd told the Australian Broadcasting Corporation (ABC) on Wednesday.

"The second one, by the time I got there most of its body was already through the pipes and so I was only really holding onto it around its neck," he said.

"I loosened my grip a bit and he just started coming out on his own."

The lack of rainfall in north Queensland as seen snakes - and other reptiles - become creative at finding water, particularly due to the breeding season.

"Over the next little while as it gets drier and drier and we're not expecting much of a wet season I expect that you may find snakes in many more wet places than you usually do," James Cook University reptile expert Lin Schwarzkopf said.

IANS