Snake catcher called to woman's home to remove rubber strap

Oct. 31 (UPI) -- An Australian snake catcher was called to the home of a panicked woman who spotted a serpent in her yard -- but the supposed snake wasn't what it seemed.

Stuart McKenzie of The Snake Catcher 24/7 Sunshine Coast said in a Facebook post that a Sippy Downs, Queensland, woman called recently to request a snake removal in her yard.

"She rang and said 'I think there is a snake in the backyard, I am sitting still for the time being, can you get someone out as soon as possible?'" McKenzie told the Sydney Morning Herald.

"She seemed quite stressed over the phone and I got someone there ASAP," McKenzie wrote on Facebook.

McKenzie sent an employee to the woman's home to catch what was initially suspected to be a red-bellied black snake, but turned out to be a rubber strap.

"They both sort of had a laugh, in the end I think she was a bit relieved it wasn't a snake," he said.