WATCH: Man Spots Pythons Hanging Outside Kitchen Window While Making Coffee
Ballina Shire Councilor Keith Williams in New South Wales, Australia, posted a video early Friday of two pythons hanging outside his kitchen window. The video went viral on social media and garnered 90,000 impressions on Facebook alone overnight.
Williams spotted two snakes while he was making coffee at his Tintenbar, New South Wales residence. He initially thought that the snakes were breeding.
He then made a video and posted it on Facebook with the caption that read: "Holy s---. Just outside the kitchen window. I think spring has started early. Beautiful healthy pythons."
Later he learned that the two 3.5 meter long snakes were both males and were said to be battling for supremacy over a female.
Williams explained the theory by saying: "Our resident snakes - a male and a female python - have lived in our roof space during winter for the last three years. We think another male has come along and he's been chased off after a fight."
"It was just fascinating to watch as it went on for forty-five 45 minutes - it was amazing," he added, according to Northern Star in Australia.
The video attracted 90,000 impressions overnight on Facebook and 24,000 views on Twitter as of Saturday where a Twitter user re-tweeted the video and said: "Australia is the only country ready for the apocalypse."
An international press agency named Carter News took ownership for the original video in order to distribute it internationally. They would also pay Williams 50 percent of what it generates.
William will have to wait for another month to find out if he earns any money, till then the pythons are still hanging around his veranda.
"During winter when they live in the house we don't have any problems with rats or mice which is a great thing. These are pythons, they're harmless, they're just beautiful to watch," Williams said.
According to ReptileKnowledge.com, all pythons are said to be non-venomous and most of them present no threat to humans.
"But a handful of species do grow large enough to constrict and kill their owners. These include the reticulated and Burmese pythons, along with a few other species. Pythons are members of the Pythonidae family of snakes. There are about 26 different species within this family," the website reads.
All of the species of pythons within this family are said to be non-venomous. They generally kill their prey by "squeezing the animal to death. Venomous snakes, on the other hand, kill their prey by biting and injecting venom through hollow fangs or teeth."
Williams is also said to be the president of Ballina Sea Bird Rescue in New South Wales. The organization had its first turtle rescue this week, following the washing up of a number of ill turtles on the beach since the month of April.
Python sightings have been mostly common throughout years. In 2012, a New York City teacher James Geist from New Jersey spotted pythons in his yard. At the time, he told News.com.au that he was reading on his deck when he saw some branches move and soon realized it was a snake. He immediately called the police who found a 4.6 meter-long albino python.
In another instance, Geist found another python just four days later. After contacting the animal control facility, they told him that the tropical snakes might have been released by someone who moved away from the neighborhood.
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