Woman finds highly venomous tiger snake "slithering up her leg" while driving down Australia highway
A driver cruising down a highway in eastern Australia felt something on her foot and discovered a deadly tiger snake "slithering up her leg," police said Sunday.
Officers found her on the side of the Monash Freeway near Melbourne, barefoot and in a state of shock after her Friday morning encounter with the reptile, Victoria state police said in a news release titled: "Fangs on the freeway."
"The woman explained that she had been travelling at 80kph (50 mph) on the freeway when she felt something on foot and looked down to find a deadly tiger snake slithering up her leg," police said in a statement.
"Remarkably, she was able to fend the snake off her and weave through traffic before pulling over and leaping out of her car to safety."
Tiger snakes, named after their colored stripes, are among the most venomous snakes in the world, according to the state's wildlife department.
Thick bodied and about a meter (three feet) long, they respond to threats by raising themselves off the ground and flattening their heads and neck, it says.
Police said the woman was assessed by paramedics to ensure she had not been bitten. Finally, a professional snake catcher was brought in and police posted video of the deadly reptile being taken from the car.
"Needless to say, slapping the cuffs on this offender wasn't an option so officers called in specialist forces," police said. "Tim from Melbourne Snake Control was contacted, quickly identified the tiger snake (the fourth most venomous snake in the world) and volunteered his services. Passing motorists were left in bewilderment as the massive snake was safely removed from the vehicle."
According to the Australian Museum, tiger snakes are typically found in water such as creeks, dams, drains, lagoons and swamps. They are also excellent climbers, able to scale also both vegetation and man-made constructions (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 justifiably has a "fearsome reputation."
"The snake's large size, often aggressive defense and toxic venom make it extremely dangerous to humans," the museum says. "It will hiss loudly as it inflates and deflates its body, and if provoked further will lash out and bite forcefully. 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 emerged in other unlikely spots in Australia. In June, a highly venomous snake was found lurking in a child's bed, blending in with her stuffed animals. In January, another family spotted a dangerous eastern brown snake in the underwear drawer of their 3-year-old son.