ONE Cleveland resident had a surprise visitor last week when a 1.5 metre-long snake made itself comfortable behind her toilet.
The resident was heading out the door when she stood on the carpet python, which then took the opportunity to slither inside and take shelter in the bathroom.
The quick-thinking homeowner put the toilet seat down and called Redlands snake catcher Tony Morrison, who returned it safely to the bush.
"I live right next to bushland so they are quite common around my house," she said.
"That's the second encounter I've had in two months.
"This time the snake was actually at my back door, I didn't see it. When I stepped out the door I stood on what I described to myself at the time as a lump and then turned around to see the snake slithering in my house.
"Tony said that a lot of snakes appeared to be heading in my direction following on from the recent burn-off."
The coastal carpet python is the largest snake species found in south-east Queensland.
They are non-venomous but have 80 backwards-facing teeth that can cause significant damage to humans or animals.
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Last week's sighting came before a chilly long weekend, which, thanks to cool, dry winds, saw the apparent temperature dipping as low as 3.6 degrees on Monday morning.
Mr Morrison said the temperature drop had not significantly impacted snake behaviour, with some reptiles out and about taking advantage of the clear skies.
"I had a call today (Monday) because a snake had come out and was sunning itself because of the cold weather yesterday," he said.
"I think a lot of people get the notion of snakes going into hibernation (but) out here we don't have a hibernation period, activity just slows down.
"We never have much of a winter and this (season) has been a reflection of that.
"All of a sudden it gets warm again and we're back on."
Mr Morrison said he was expecting snake activity to ramp up as temperatures continued to rise over the coming months.
"Now is a great time for people to start cleaning their yards before it gets too hot," he said.
"Snakes love tin. Corrugated iron and metal rubbish are big because snakes can get warmth off that during the day."
Mr Morrison said people concerned about a snake in their home or yard could photograph it from a safe distance and send it to a registered snake catcher for identification.
For more information visit the Redlands Snake Catcher Facebook page.
