Video Shows Venomous Snake Trapped in Vacuum Cleaner After Couple Sucked It Up

A red-bellied black snake was relocated by a reptile catcher in Australia this week after a couple panicked and sucked it into a vacuum cleaner. Stuart McKenzie, owner of Sunshine Coast Snake Catchers 24/7, shared video footage to Facebook on Thursday showing the snake trapped inside the home cleaning device. He said the snake was luckily not injured, and was later safely returned to the bush. The species is highly venomous to humans but is typically shy, only delivering a serious bite when put under severe distress, the Australian Museum says. McKenzie said the couple spotted the snake after it entered their home and were unsure about how to react. He wrote: "They had an old vacuum handy and decided to suck the snake up with the vacuum to trap it inside and then called us for relocation." In a video uploaded to social media, the snake was seen slithering around through a transparent section of the vacuum. McKenzie noted the device wasn't too powerful and the snake did not appear hurt, but advised against using that tactic. "We obviously do not recommend people [using a vacuum] as it can hurt the snake and can also be dangerous for the homeowners," McKenzie said. He added: "In the end the snake was okay and safely relocated which was a good result but please never try and trap snakes using any devices. I had a good chat with the owners and they understand not to do that again and to call a professional." While the species may be shy compared to other varieties, such as the deadly eastern brown, red-bellied black snakes are still responsible for several bites every year. According to the Australian Museum, its venom has anticoagulant and myotoxic effects, with symptoms including bleeding or swelling at the bite, nausea, vomiting, headache, abdominal pain, diarrhea, sweating, muscle pain and red-brown urine. However, despite its size the red-bellied black species is "probably the least dangerous elapid snake in Australia" and is tied to "few human deaths," the profile said. McKenzie said the one that was found "cruising around" inside the family vacuum was a baby and had likely traveled a good distance before ending up in the home. On February 22, Sunshine Coast Snake Catchers 24/7 shared a video of a red-bellied snake that was found at a residence on the same street as McKenzie lives. He said: "I found a 3 foot red belly cruising around under her house. It's the first time I have caught a red belly this deep within Buderim. Plenty... around Sippy Downs and Mountain Creek areas but this guy clearly wanted to explore Buderim a bit more!"