Video captures Australian man’s over-the-top reaction to seeing small snake in yard

An Australian man is getting teased on social media after his terrified reaction to a small snake was caught on video.

The recording was made earlier this month by Sunshine Coast Snake Catchers 24/7, as two snake wranglers searched for a snake lurking in the family’s yard.

A couple and two children seen watching from the porch appear bemused — until a red-bellied snake is snatched from the bushes and hoisted into the air.

The snake is thin and only about 15 inches long, but the father is clearly panic-stricken and dashes to hide behind one of the children. He then runs into the house, leaving the two children alone on the porch.

“This dad’s reaction is hilarious,” Sunshine Coast Snake Catchers wrote June 8 on Facebook.

“We see funny reactions to snakes every week, however this one certainly takes the cake. When (employees) caught this little red belly it surprised the dad so much he used his daughter as a human shield and ran the opposite direction for the safety of the front door!”’

By contrast, his two children stand their ground on the porch.

Sunshine Coast Snake Catchers 24/7 “is the largest snake catching company” in South East Queensland and specializes in relocating snakes and other reptiles from homes and businesses.

The company’s 3-minute video of the snake capture has gotten more than 149,000 views and hundreds of reactions, including some sympathetic to the unidentified father.

“I did have to laugh at the dad pushing the kids out in front of him,” Bob Williams commented on the video.

“That would be me. I am petrified of snakes. Can’t help but laugh,” Sharon Samples wrote.

Red-bellied snakes are venomous and can grow up to 6 feet in length, according to the Australian Museum. The species is known to “deliver a rapid (but often clumsy) bite, and sometimes they may hang on and chew savagely,” the museum says.

“The venom has predominantly anticoagulant and myotoxic effects, and symptoms of envenomation include bleeding and/or swelling at the bite site, nausea, vomiting, headache, abdominal pain, diarrhea, sweating, local or general muscle pain and weakness, and red-brown urine.”

This story was originally published June 15, 2022 at 6:51 AM with the headline "Video captures Australian man’s over-the-top reaction to seeing small snake in yard."