Deadly Eastern Brown Snake Discovered Stuck in Discarded Drinks Can

An unfortunate but deadly snake has been discovered trapped inside a drinks can.

Mark Pelley, a snake catcher based in Melbourne, was called out to free the animal and identified it as an eastern brown, one of the most venomous species in Australia.

On his Facebook page, The Snake Hunter, he warned the public against leaving their garbage around.

"SNAKE IN A CAN—PUT YOUR RUBBISH IN THE BIN," Pelley's post said. "In Diamond Creek, an eastern brown snake was caught in a can. I had to catch the snake and cut it out of the can without getting bitten."

Eastern brown snakes can grow to around 7 feet long and have a slender frame. They are common to eastern and southern Australia and are often found in inhabited areas. Not only does the species' range overlap with the country's largest population centers but, according to the Australian Museum, eastern browns "can cope and even thrive in areas of human disturbance."

Eastern browns have the second most potent venom of all the world's snakes, behind only the inland taipan, according to the University of Melbourne's Australian Venom Research Unit.

Their venom contains several coagulating substances, causing bite victims to bleed internally and uncontrollably. A bite can also lead to seizures, nausea and cardiac arrest.

The eastern brown's "venom is strong enough to kill an adult," Gunter Glaser from Darling Downs Snake Catchers previously told Newsweek. "It becomes more toxic as the snake matures."

Between 2005 and 2015, the species was responsible for 41 percent of identified snakebite victims in Australia, and for 15 of the 19 deaths.

The snakes are quite docile, however, and will only bite if they feel vulnerable.

"Eastern browns are really common, but tend to stay away from commotion," Dan Marshall, from Barossa Reptile Service, previously told Newsweek. "Most of the time people are walking past them and they never know they're there."

He added: "They will only ever defend themselves if they feel threatened. Otherwise, they will simply take off in the opposite direction."

Australia's snake season usually lasts from October to April, its warmer months. Snakes are most active during this period because of their cold-blooded bodies. During the colder months, they don't move around much.

One commenter on Pelley's post pointed this out, asking: "I thought they would not be out now?"

Another Facebook user replied: "If they get a whiff of sun they will come out."

Pelley managed to free the eastern brown from the can without getting bitten and the snake headed back off into the wild.

"The snake was safely released back onto the rural property at the request of the owners," he wrote. "This is why I encourage people to put your rubbish in the bin and don't litter."

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