EVEN seasoned snake wranglers were shocked at the immense size of a python that slithered into a Cairns’ yard early yesterday.

The scrub python, which was measured to be about 6m long, woke a dog at the resident’s home about 2am.

Matt Hagan, from Cairns Snake Catcher, said when the resident told him it was “at least 5m long” he thought he was exaggerating.

“I went down there, bleary-eyed and expecting people to generally over-estimate the size,’’ Mr Hagan said.

“I brought the standard pillowcase-size bag out and took one look at it and thought, ‘I’m gonna need a bigger bag’.

“I had to get the doona-cover edition.”

Fortunately, the jumbo-sized reptile was easy to catch, with the assistance of the resident and fellow snake catcher Jack Shield.

The snake was later found to tip the scales at a whopping 31kg, and have a diameter of about 38cm.

Mr Hagan said it was the one of the longest and heaviest pythons he had ever encountered.

“The thing about this snake is the condition on it,’’ he said.

media_camera A 5.5 m long male Amethystine python that was removed from a home at Smithfield by Cairns Snake Catchers.

“We’ve caught snakes over 5m before, but this has got a real critical mass.

“It’s a really beautiful specimen. When you go to pick it up, there’s a lot of snake there.”

Scrub pythons are Australia’s largest snake species, growing to lengths of 8.5m. They are non-venomous and regarded as harmless to humans.

media_camera A 5.5 m long male Amethystine python that was removed from a home at Smithfield by Cairns Snake Catchers.

The snake, which was captured close to the Smithfield Waste Transfer Station, was believed to have been feasting on prey attracted to the rubbish, such as ibises, rodents, feral cats, and even wallabies.

It was released into rainforest late yesterday afternoon.

Mr Hagan said his business had received several call-outs to remove snakes from homes and businesses in the past two weeks, mainly due to the wet weather.

“In the lead-up to the rain, there’s been a bit of a feeding frenzy,’’ he said.

media_camera Cairns Snake Catchers Jack Shield and Matt Hagan with a 5.5 m long male Amethystine python that was removed from a home at Smithfield

“Initially when the rain started, we started catching a lot of brown tree snakes and scrub pythons within buildings.

“Once the rain set in, it started tapering off a bit.”

Residents are urged to give all snakes a wide berth, as they present little or no danger to people unless they feel threatened.

If a snake is found inside or near your home, contact a licensed snake catcher to have it removed.