A snake that was initially thought to be dead miraculously came "back to life" after being caught by a snake catcher in Australia—in a moment captured in the video above.
Stuart McKenzie, of Queensland-based Sunshine Coast Snake Catchers, was tasked with catching the small red-bellied black snake "on the move" inside a business building, but said he found it showing "zero signs of life" and "not breathing."
When the snake catcher arrived, a large container had been placed over the snake, which was lying upside down, with the edge on the snake's "completely squashed" head.
Believing that the snake was dead, McKenzie took the venomous snake home and was walking around with it in his hands, before placing it on the table to show his wife.
He was planning on placing the snake in a bag and throwing it in the trash when he noticed "the slightest movement."
In a Facebook post, the snake catcher said: "To my shock and excitement the little Red Belly was coming back to life before our eyes."
He added: "The little snake is not out of the woods yet and we are going to get it vet checked but things are looking good! Reptiles are such resilient creatures!"
In a video posted online, the snake appears to be lying completely still on a kitchen counter before moving slightly raising its head. By the end of the video, the snake is moving its whole body, despite still appearing to be "groggy."
Red-bellied black snakes are one of the most frequently encountered snakes on Australia's east coast. Although they are responsible for a number of bites every year, they will only deliver a severe bite "under severe molestation," according to the Australian Museum.
In the wild, the snakes will freeze to avoid detection, and if approached too closely, they will try to retreat. If they are harassed, they may lash out and bite and "sometimes they may hang on and chew savagely."
The museum says the red-bellied black snake is probably the least dangerous elapid snake of its size in Australia, and very few human deaths have resulted from its bite.
Victims of a red-bellied black snake bite experience mild or negligible symptoms such as 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.
However, the Australian Museum warns: "As individual reactions to envenomation can vary, all suspected bites should be treated as serious and medical attention sought as soon as possible."
Uncommon Knowledge
Newsweek is committed to challenging conventional wisdom and finding connections in the search for common ground.
Newsweek is committed to challenging conventional wisdom and finding connections in the search for common ground.
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