Python In Australia Raids Thrift Store
A python in Australia raided a St. Vincent de Paul thrift store and made a big mess. The 19-foot-long python snuck into the building, knocked over numerous displays, and vomited on the floor.
Police in Cairns, Australia, originally suspected a human burglar. As reported by CBS News, all signs pointed to a human break-in. Police Sargent Don Auld explains:
We thought a person had fallen through the ceiling because the roof panel was cut in half … When they’ve hit the floor, they’ve vomited and then staggered and fallen over. That’s what we thought anyway.”
The following day store personnel found out what really happened. The enormous snake was found inside the store lounging against the wall.
As reported by Cairns.com, authorities contacted a local snake handler who secured the snake. He relocated the python to the Australian wetlands.
Police suspect the snake entered the store through a hole in the ceiling that was no properly repaired following cyclone.
Pythons in Australia are quite plentiful and range in size, color, and pattern. Pythons do not have fangs and are not venomous. However, they can be deadly.
As explained by the Wildlife Ministry, pythons are constrictors. Their mouths are full of small pointed teeth that help them catch their prey. Once caught, the python coils its body around the prey, increasing pressure until the animal can no longer breathe.
When the prey is dead, the python opens its mouth and literally swallows it whole. It can take several days for a python to digest one meal.
Pythons can be intimidating as they can grow to lengths of 30 feet. While they certainly are capable of killing and eating a human, attacks are rare. Pythons generally feed on rodents and other small to medium sized mammals. Larger pythons occasionally feed on animals the size of deer.
The python in Australia did not seem to be after food when it entered the thrift store. It was most likely looking for somewhere to explore or hide. Fortunately, nobody, including the snake, was harmed in the incident.
[Image via Wikimedia]
