Shocking moment a man finds a HUGE five-foot-long python balancing on his garden fence - and he's put his cat on 'house arrest'
This is the terrifying moment a homeowner discovers a massive python slithering on his garden fence.
The five-foot-long carpet python was spotted enjoying the sunshine in the backyard of a home in Newcastle, New South Wales this week.
The homeowner recorded the moment he stumbled upon the giant serpent and posted the footage to Reddit.
'Yep, Aussie summer is in full swing,' the caption read.
The homeowner said his cat had been placed under 'house arrest' while the snake was still slithering around.
'There's plenty of bush turkeys the snake can take on down the road though,' he said.
And while many social media users found the footage terrifying, others were impressed.
'What a beauty!' one wrote.
'Looks like a pet to be honest,' wrote another.
Carpet pythons, also known as diamond pythons, grow two to five metres in length and can weigh up to 15kg.
They are slow-moving and non-venomous but can inflict a painful bite - although they are not considered dangerous to humans.
The five-foot long carpet python was spotted enjoying the sunshine in the backyard of a home in Newcastle, New South Wales this week
The snakes kill prey such as small mammals, birds and lizards by constricting them.
Incidents of the snakes attacking or devouring domestic cats and small dogs have been reported.
Diamond pythons often live near human settlements, where they perform a useful service by eating rats and other vermin.
They are found on the east coast of NSW, all of Queensland and Victoria, the upper 100-200 km of the Northern Territory, the northernmost and southernmost parts of Western Australia and in southeast parts of South Australia.
What is the Australian carpet python?
* Also known as a diamond python or Morelia spilota, the snakes are extremely variable in colour and pattern. Most specimens are olive green, with pale, dark-edged blotches, stripes or cross-bands
* Species is non-venomous, but tetanus protection is recommended following bites
* Live in open forests, rainforests, coastal heaths, rural lands, park lands and suburban gardens across Australia
* Snake is active both day and night and can be encountered on the ground, in trees or buildings (particularly chicken pens, barns and attics)
* Typically feast on frogs, lizards, birds, mammals
Source: Queensland Museum
