Family makes shocking discovery inside delivery pizza box: 'You definitely don't want them in the house'

A family enjoying a pizza night got an unexpected and terrifying side dish with their order: a venomous snake.

What's happening?

A family in Sippy Downs, Australia, had enjoyed their take-out pizza and left the box out to throw away a little later. While the box awaited the trash, a red-bellied black snake slithered in from the outdoors and nestled in the box sitting inside the family's house, according to a report from People Magazine.

Luckily, a family member spotted the snake before anyone picked up the box and called in a professional, Daniel Busstra of Snake Catcher Dan, to properly remove it from the house. According to People Magazine, Busstra commented the snake was "definitely not the biggest snake, but it sure is healthy," adding "you definitely don't want them in the house" because they are "highly venomous."

Red-bellied black snakes "are one of the most frequently encountered snakes on the east coast of Australia, and are responsible for a number of bites every year," according to the Australian Museum. They tend to avoid fighting and biting unless they experience "severe molestation."

Why is the snake encounter important?

Australia is famous for having some of the deadliest snakes in the world, and the number of close encounters between humans and snakes is increasing.

Part of the increase is due to both habitat destruction for the reptiles and increased temperatures caused by the climate crisis. According to the Guardian, rising temperatures are driving snakes to seek alternative shelter to thermoregulate and disrupting their normal activity hours. They cited research that showed in Perth, snakes came out of their shelters only when the temperature reached 16 degrees Celsius (60 degrees Fahrenheit). With temperatures increasing, by the end of the century, more days could hit that threshold, causing snakes to become more active and hunt more. 

Those kinds of changes increase the likelihood that people will run into snakes and other wildlife in or near their homes, leading to potentially dangerous or even deadly scenarios for both. 

What's being done about snake encounters?

Despite many claims you can "snake-proof" your home, there are several ways to deter snakes from seeking shelter near you, like removing water sources, shelter piles (like rocks and wood), sealing potential entrances in your home, and planting native plants that attract snake-eating predators, like kookaburas, according to ABC Australia. 

On a larger scale, organizations like the World Wildlife Fund are working to foster better relationships between humans and wildlife to keep both safe, like supporting wildlife corridors and supporting legislation that protects natural space.

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