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Flaviemys purvisi

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by CLAUDIA ALP
16th Dec 2018
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SNAKE IN THE TUB: A "cheeky, little spotted python” surprised Jubilee Pocket woman Marlene Manto when he popped out of her bathtub plughole last Tuesday night. Claudia Alp


WE'VE all heard how incy wincy spider climbed up the water spout, but here in North Queensland, the python up the plughole is the alternative version.

It's definitely not what Jubilee Pocket woman Marlene Manto expected to see when she walked into her bathroom last Tuesday night.

But when she flicked the light switch and spotted her uninvited guest relaxing in the bathtub, Ms Manto remained as cool as a cucumber.

"It gave me a start but I wouldn't say I was frightened. One does not expect to see a snake in one's bath,” she said.

"I immediately noticed that it was patterned so I thought it might have been a python. But I knew I didn't know enough about snakes.

"I raced into the kitchen, took what photos I could and put them straight onto the Snakes of the Whitsundays Facebook page.”


The snake, about 60cm long, was identified as a "cheeky, spotted python” by Whitsunday snake catcher David Barwell.

As luck would have it, the python showed up a day before Ms Manto's birthday party.

Although the unusual bathroom decoration didn't phase her, she knew her guests would feel otherwise.

"I knew I had to do something, so I reached my hand out and it reared up, but it was like a chihuahua. I just thought: 'That's cute'. It gave me the chance to very quickly grab him and grab the other end,” she said.

"But it was a bit tricky because I was alone. I had two hands full of very upset snake.

"I managed to elbow the door open and put him outside in the garden. He took off at about 90 miles an hour. He was really just keen to get away.”


Whitsunday snake catcher Neil Cutten said spotted pythons were not dangerous in any shape or form although juveniles could be "bitey”.

If they do happen to get up the pipes, Mr Cutten said the best thing to do is isolate it by closing the door and using a towel to close the gap, then calling a snake catcher.

Ms Manto said had it been a tarantula, she would have emptied a can of Mortein and moved into a hotel for the night.

As it happened, her visitor wasn't venomous and was, in fact, "a very pretty snake”. But living in an environment with snakes, Ms Manto said people just need to be sensible.

"I think people just have to be sensible and get onto the snake catchers page. You don't need to be afraid of them because seriously they just want to be away from you,” she said.

"If it was a dangerous snake or if I was terrified of it, I would have asked one of the snake catchers to come and get it.

"But I cannot stand it when people say they kill them. We live in this environment. There are snakes that are here. There are snakes in any environment.”
 
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