Venomous brown tree snake turns a Queensland home's model train tunnel into a nap nook

Residents at a Queensland home got an unusual surprise when a venomous brown tree snake chose a tunnel on a model train setup as a place to sleep.

What happened?

As UPI reported, the incident led to a call for an Australian reptile wrangler after a Queensland resident spotted what he first took to be a rubber snake on his miniature railway. It turned out to be a brown tree snake resting inside one of the tunnels on the tracks.

Sunshine Coast Snake Catchers 24/7 posted a social media video from the rescue and said the reptile was a "healthy and rather large" brown tree snake that had "decided to have a sleep in the train set."

The footage shows reptile wrangler Stuart McKenzie removing the snake from the tight tunnel. He explains that the animal is getting ready to shed its skin. The video concludes with the snake being released safely into a tree.

Why does it matter?

Although brown tree snakes are venomous, they are generally not considered dangerous to adult humans. Even so, finding one inside your home can quickly become risky, especially for children, pets, or anyone who might try to move the animal without professional help.

As people expand neighborhoods into what used to be natural habitats, wild animals end up being forced to share those areas with us. A sheltered, enclosed model tunnel may have seemed like the perfect cool hiding place for a snake trying to rest and prepare to shed.

Human-made structures can unintentionally attract wildlife searching for safety, shade, or food.

Wildlife experts often urge people to call trained rescuers instead of trying to handle animals themselves.

At the end of the video, McKenzie sums up the rescue with: "Back in the tree where you belong, away from the model train set."

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