Stay up to date with notifications from The Independent

Notifications can be managed in browser preferences.

Snake in cereal: Man rattled by python found coiled up and hiding in his box of cornflakes

The cardboard box had to be cut open to get the huge diamond python out

Lamiat Sabin
Monday 09 March 2015 10:44 GMT
Comments
The snake that caused a man to flee his kitchen in fright after being found coiled up and hiding in a cereal box
The snake that caused a man to flee his kitchen in fright after being found coiled up and hiding in a cereal box (YouTube)

Your support helps us to tell the story

From reproductive rights to climate change to Big Tech, The Independent is on the ground when the story is developing. Whether it's investigating the financials of Elon Musk's pro-Trump PAC or producing our latest documentary, 'The A Word', which shines a light on the American women fighting for reproductive rights, we know how important it is to parse out the facts from the messaging.

At such a critical moment in US history, we need reporters on the ground. Your donation allows us to keep sending journalists to speak to both sides of the story.

The Independent is trusted by Americans across the entire political spectrum. And unlike many other quality news outlets, we choose not to lock Americans out of our reporting and analysis with paywalls. We believe quality journalism should be available to everyone, paid for by those who can afford it.

Your support makes all the difference.

A man claims to have had a real-life kitchen nightmare after he saw a long coiled-up snake poke its head out of his box of cereal.

Jarred Smith, 22, was making lunch on Tuesday when he spotted the two-metre diamond python hiding inside the open cornflakes package – according to the Daily Telegraph in Australia.

The frightening change from free gifts that would usually be found in a box of cereal caused Mr Smith to drop his food on the counter in terror and sent him running out of his kitchen door.

He and his father, who was luckily at home in the Sydney suburb of Davidson at the time, called up a wildlife rescue service to come and help them deal with the slithery creature that had snuck in and taken up residence.

New South Wales Wildlife Information, Rescue and Education Service arrived at the house to take away the snake before releasing it back in its natural bushland habitat. Diamond pythons are able to spend up to two weeks at a time waiting in the same spot for prey.

Chris McGreal, who rescued the python, said – according to the Daily Telegraph: “The python was over 2m long and I couldn’t believe it was jammed into this small cereal box.

“When I got there I actually had to tear the box to get it out, that’s how tightly squeezed in it was. It’s likely it was hiding in there to feel secure.”

Diamond pythons usually hunt for rodents in Australia
Diamond pythons usually hunt for rodents in Australia (Getty Images)

Diamond pythons are non-venomous, tend to keep a low profile and are the most commonly found snakes in the New South Wales region. They kill their prey by constricting and suffocating them.

The black reptiles with yellow and cream markings only bite humans if they feel extremely threatened. They can sometimes leave teeth stuck in flesh.

The species is even welcomed in and around people’s gardens and rooftops in Australia as they pose minimal threat to humans while feeding on unwanted rodents and pests.

Join our commenting forum

Join thought-provoking conversations, follow other Independent readers and see their replies

Comments

Thank you for registering

Please refresh the page or navigate to another page on the site to be automatically logged inPlease refresh your browser to be logged in