Lizard, small snake rescued from ball of discarded tape

March 15 (UPI) -- Wildlife rescuers in Australia are urging people to be careful with their trash after a snake and a lizard were found stuck to a ball of discarded masking tape.

The New South Wales Wildlife Information, Rescue and Education Service, Northern Rivers, said rescuers were dispatched on a report of a snake stuck to some "sticky tape" and they were expecting "heavy duty plastic tape" to be the culprit.

"Our rescuer was surprised to find that the tape was normal paper masking tape which had been crumpled up and discarded," WIRES said in a Facebook post.

"Of even more surprise, the tape had caught not only a dwarf crown snake but also a little lizard, itself perhaps an intended meal for the snake," the post said.

The group said rescuers carefully freed the lizard and the snake, which was described as mildly venomous but not usually dangerous to humans.

"Two WIRES snake handlers worked together, one holding the snake's head as they soaked the paper and freed the two reptiles," the group said. "This lizard and snake were fortunate that the tape they were stuck to was water soluble."

The group encouraged residents to be careful when disposing tape and similar adhesive items.

"You might just save a small bird, mammal or reptile from a sticky fate," it said.