Spot the snake! Python’s hiding place on backyard deck leaves Aussies stumped

A snake catcher has left social media users baffled as they try to figure out where a sneaky snake was hiding on a Queensland resident’s back deck. Sunshine Coast Snake Catchers took to Facebook on Monday with one of its popular “spot the snake” games after startled homeowners discovered the python lounging about outside.

In the post, snake catcher Stu uploaded a snap of the decking area, showing a comfy looking couch and dining table and asked fans to guess where the sneaky snake was hiding. “Yes it’s that time again for another game of ‘Spot the Snake’,” he wrote alongside the image. “Extra points if you can name the species. Have some fun with it and tag a few friends in the comments and see how they go finding it!”

The picture had plenty of followers admitting defeat, with many commenting to say they were unable to spot it and some even claiming they could see the snake under the table and in the kitchen through the window. Can you spot it?

“Omg love this game! I’ve never seen the snake in any of them hahaha but I try,” one commentator wrote. Another added: “I’m guessing at the back of the cushions but I’m usually wrong. Not very good at spotting snakes unless they’re moving!” While a third wrote: “And that is why I don’t sit on my back patio until my husband has checked under each chair and each cushion.”

In a follow-up post, Stu gave a bit more detail and a close-up image to show the snake’s very well-hidden location. It may take a bit of squinting, but the reptile is actually lying behind the couch with a small part of its body seen behind the cushions. “Coastal Carpet Python on the back of the sun lounge,” the snake catcher wrote on the post. “Congrats to all those who got it correct!”

Coastal carpet pythons aren’t venomous and live mainly on mammals such as rodents and possums (although they’re not averse to a dog, cat or guinea pig if the opportunity arises) but can grow to more than three metres (10 feet) in length. They live in rainforests, forests and dry woodland but aren’t unhappy in suburban backyards and farmland. Wildlife Queensland says that the pythons are commonly found in roof and wall cavities, exposed beams on verandas, in shed and garages, and likes to live in trees, shrubs, discarded building materials and garden debris.

Meanwhile, this isn’t the first time a snake catcher has taken to social media to quiz followers posting a photo of a snake hiding in an unusual place. Brisbane Snake Catchers were called out to a home in the coastal Brisbane suburb of Wynnum earlier this year to remove a python from a home.

Upon arrival they decided to take a snap of the room the reptile was in, later posting it to Facebook to see if anyone could see where it had settled. “We were called out today to an elderly couple’s home in Wynnum, Brisbane,” the post read alongside a photo of inside the home. “Can you find the snake in this kitchen?”

The question proved harder than some first thought, with many questioning whether they were in need of some new glasses with absolutely no idea where the snake had hidden away. The post received over 140 comments with answers ranging from: In the cupboard or at the top of shelves, to hiding in a cutlery drawer out of sight. But for the most part, people were completely stumped.

“Is that him wrapped around the cup?” one person commented. “Is the snake the tiny lump on the left of the basket at the top of the cabinets?” another asked. While a third simply had no clue writing: “If an elderly couple can spot it and I can’t at the young age of 42… I am going to Specsavers.”

Sadly many of their suggestions were wrong as the snake was actually hiding behind the plate decorated with a snowman above the cupboard on the top right. It’s quite difficult to spot at first but its body can be seen slightly behind the plate, near the air freshener and out of reach from the elderly couple who were quick to call for help.

“Called out to an elderly couples property yesterday in Wynnum West, Brisbane,” the post read. “To those who guessed yesterdays find the snake post behind the plate, you were correct! The couple was making themselves a tea when they discovered a scaly visitor above their heads staring at them. His now back in the bush where he belongs.”