Watch Large, Venomous Red-bellied Snake With Up To 40 Live Babies Inside Her Get Caught

A very large, pregnant snake with up to 40 live baby snakes inside her has been caught at a home in Australia.

The red-bellied black snake was spotted by the owner, who runs events at the property. She had become worried as it was hanging around an area where guests regularly congregate, so was concerned about possible dangerous interactions with the snake.

She contacted the Sunshine Coast Snake Catchers 24/7 and owner Stuart McKenzie attended the call.

Footage of the rescue shows McKenzie approaching the rock wall where the snake had been hiding. As he grabs the snake by the tail, the owner asks if it had been there laying eggs. As McKenzie places the snake in the bag, he explains this species does not actually lay eggs, but says she is "full of babies."

"As soon as I grabbed her by the tail I knew she was gravid and full of babies, this meant I had to be as gentle as possible," he wrote in a Facebook post.

Red-bellied black snakes are found across eastern Australia. The average adult measures between 5 and 6.5 feet, with the largest reaching just over eight feet.

They breed in spring and have a fairly long gestation period, giving birth in late summer and fall. They give birth to live young enclosed in a membranous sac, with the baby snakes emerging from the sac shortly after. They can give birth to up to 40 live snakes at one time.

The species is venomous and a bite can result in bleeding, swelling at the site, nausea, vomiting, headache, abdominal pain and diarrhoea.

Red-bellied black snakes are often encountered but are generally shy and will only bite if under "severe molestation," according to the Australia Museum. It is considered to be one of the least dangerous elapid (venomous) snakes in Australia.

After collecting the pregnant red-bellied black snake, McKenzie released her in a safe spot nearby so she would still be comfortable and could give birth to her "gorgeous" red-bellied offspring.

Just days later, McKenzie was called to rescue another pregnant snake from a compost bin at a residential property.

In a Facebook post, he said the carpet python was found to be a mother, with a clutch of eggs towards the bottom of the bin. The snake was released away from the property and the eggs were taken to the Australia Zoo to be cared for.