A TOWNSVILLE toddler found a nest of eggs in his yard and took them into his bedroom only to have them hatch out a clutch of one of the world's most venomous species of snakes.

Kyle Cumming's mother Donna Sim received the shock of her life when she went to open her three-year-old son's bedroom wardrobe on Monday.

Inside was a takeaway container filled with seven squirming baby snakes, later identified to be eastern brown snakes - regarded as the world's second-deadliest species behind the inland taipan.

Kyle had found the eggs in his yard several weeks ago, and asked his mum for a container to place them into.

Ms Sim said she didn't think any more of it until she had discovered the container in her son's wardrobe, full of hatchlings.

Fortunately, Kyle had clamped the lid of the container down firmly, and the snakes had not yet grown large enough to push it off and escape.

"I was pretty shocked, particularly because I don't like snakes," Ms Sim said.

She and her son took the container to Billabong Sanctuary, where rangers contacted local wildlife carers to release the reptiles back into the wild.

Kyle's older sister Shannon Sim, 22, said that her brother loved all animals, and enjoyed following the adventures of one of his heroes, survival expert Bear Grylls.

Kyle has since been given a stiff talking to about the dangers of picking up snakes.

"He's a real country boy," Shannon said. "He was a bit sorry to see them go. He wanted to keep them."

Eastern brown snakes are extremely aggressive and their venom is responsible for most lethal snake bites recorded in Australia.

North Queensland Wildlife Care reptile co-ordinator Trish Prendergast said Kyle was lucky he did not get bitten.

"He is extremely lucky that his mother found them before he opened up the container and played with them," she said.

"Otherwise he may not be with us today."

Townsville Bulletin