A driver traveling along a highway in eastern Australia felt something on her foot and discovered a deadly tiger snake “sliding down her leg,” police said Sunday.
Officers found her on the side of the Monash Freeway near Melbourne, barefoot and in shock after her encounter with the reptile on Friday morning, Victoria State Police said in a news release titled: “Fangs on the highway.”
“The woman explained that she was driving at 50 miles per hour on the highway when she felt something on foot and looked down and saw a deadly tiger snake sliding down her leg,” police said in a statement.
“Remarkably, she was able to fend off the snake and maneuver through traffic before stopping and jumping out of her car to safety.”
Victoria State Police
Tiger snakes, named for their colored stripes, are among the most venomous snakes in the world, according to the state wildlife department.
They have a thick body and are about one meter long. They respond to threats by lifting themselves off the ground and flattening their heads and necks, he says.
Police said the woman was examined by paramedics to ensure she had not been bitten. Eventually, a professional snake catcher was called in and police posted a video of the deadly reptile being removed from the car.
“Needless to say, handcuffing this perpetrator was not an option, so officers called in specialist forces,” police said. “Tim from Melbourne Snake Control was contacted, he quickly identified the tiger snake (the fourth most venomous snake in the world) and offered his services. Passing motorists were stunned as the enormous snake was safely removed from the vehicle.”
According to the Australian Museum, tiger snakes are commonly found in bodies of water such as creeks, dams, drains, lagoons and swamps. They are also excellent climbers, able to climb both vegetation and man-made structures (including human legs), and have been found as high as 30 feet above the ground.
The museum advises people to stay away from the tiger snake, which rightly has a ‘terrifying reputation’.
“The snake’s large size, often aggressive defenses and poisonous venom make it extremely dangerous to humans,” the museum says. “It will hiss loudly as it inflates and deflates its body, and if further provoked it will lash out and bite vigorously. The venom of the tiger snake is strongly neurotoxic and coagulant, and anyone suspected of being bitten should seek medical attention immediately.”
Dangerous snakes have turned up in other unlikely places in Australia. A highly poisonous snake was found in June lurking in a child’s bedabsorbed in her hugs. Another one in January family saw a dangerous eastern brown snake in their 3-year-old son’s underwear drawer.
