Australian woman thinks her dog is on the bed, then finds an 8-foot python on her

At first, Rachel Bloor thought the weight she felt on her torso was her labradoodle.

According to the Australian Broadcasting Corporation, the Brisbane resident soon realized an 8-foot carpet python was lying across her — a jarring reminder that snake season can bring wildlife uncomfortably close to home.

What happened?

The encounter came as snake activity has picked up in Queensland. Ipswich-based snake catcher Kurt Whyte said breeding season has ended, eggs are starting to hatch, and hot weather is drawing more snakes into the open. 

Against that backdrop, Bloor said that late Monday evening she felt something heavy on her stomach and chest and assumed it was her labradoodle. When she reached over the covers and felt movement, she woke her husband, who switched on the light and saw the snake. 

Rachel's husband said, "Babe, don't move. There's about a two-and-a-half-meter carpet python on top of you." 

As ABC News reported, Bloor's husband rushed the couple's two dogs out of the room while she "side shuffled" free of the bedding and later steered the python back out through the window. 

Bloor believes the snake climbed to the second story, slipped through an open window, pushed a shutter aside and "then curled up on top" of her. Despite the shock, she kept some humor about it, saying she was more relieved it was not a cane toad: "Toads freak me out."

Why does it matter?

Whyte said reports of snakes are becoming more common as new housing spreads into former bushland, even if the actual number of snakes may not be increasing. That overlap means snakes may end up moving through the same places people use every day, including backyards, garages, and even bedrooms. 

When that happens, there can be risks for both people and animals. On an Ipswich property where Shane Hancock runs The Llama Farm, Hancock's partner, Darren Degen, found a carpet python guarding 16 eggs while cutting tall grass. The eggs survived, but the injured mother snake had to be euthanized. 

Snake catcher Tiarnah Kingaby said another major hazard arises when people try to manage snakes themselves: "We see a lot more bites because of that."

What can I do?

Experts say the worst approach is trying to catch the snake yourself. As ABC News reported, the advice is to stay calm, avoid harming the snake, and leave any capture attempt to a professional. 

Keep a safe distance, watch where the animal goes, and call a snake catcher or reptile rescue group. Whyte said the same goes for snake eggs: professionals can collect them, move them to an incubator, and later release the hatchlings. 

Kingaby said this time of year is especially sensitive because mother snakes may be sitting on eggs in tall grass or dense vegetation, including places around homes and properties where people garden, mow, or clear land. 

People can also reduce the odds of an indoor surprise by checking for common entry points. Whyte noted that gaps under garage doors can offer "the perfect entry points for a snake," so sealing openings and being mindful of open windows may help lower the risk. As Hancock put it, "We're more than happy to have [them]. We coexist with our wildlife."

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