A reptile wrangler in Sydney, Australia, was called to a home to handle a snake problem and ended up removing 102 venomous red-bellied black snakes from the property.
The surprising discovery took place in Horsley Park, a Sydney suburb, after homeowner David Stein spotted several snakes in a mulch pile. Over the course of three hours, the snake catcher unearthed five adult snakes and 97 baby snakes.
David Stein initially saw what he thought were six snakes and was shocked to learn they were gathering to give birth. He contacted Reptile Relocation Sydney, and snake catcher Dylan Cooper arrived to investigate. Cooper quickly found that four of the five adult snakes were carrying eggs, which had started hatching. Stein described the experience as both fascinating and overwhelming.
The total number of snakes kept growing as more baby snakes appeared, eventually reaching a record-breaking 102. Cory Kerewaro, owner of Reptile Relocation Sydney, shared that the company has never encountered so many snakes at once. The team is now working with reptile researchers to learn more about this unusual event.
Although red-bellied black snakes are venomous, they typically avoid humans. All the snakes removed from the property were safely relocated to the wild, where they can live without posing a risk to people.
