IT was a case of snakes alive at a childcare centre in Darwin - 24 of them to be specific.

VIDEO footage of a snake infestation which closed a childcare centre in Darwin yesterday has gone global.

Mitchell St Childcare Centre was closed yesterday thanks to, as the sign on the front door says, an "inundation" of snakes, the NT News reported.

The Aussie-flavoured scaly fright has been reported around the world, with television stations in the US and Europe broadcasting reports.

Director Louise DeBomford said 41 egg shells, 23 babies and one none-too-pleased 2.5m mum had so far been found.

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The NT carpet python had set up a cosy nest in the wall of a little side room.

"There was a baby snake in the room yesterday morning - I thought there would have to be more than one because we had an inundation of snakes last year, about the same time," Ms DeBomford said.

"We had about 14 then.

"This morning there were seven - all babies - about 15cm to 30cm."

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Darwin council owns the building and sent two bold-hearted contractors - Michael Stefanidakis and Markis Pilatos drew the short straw - to investigate.

"They made an executive decision that the best way to deal with it was pull the panels off the wall. They found the nest and mum," Ms DeBomford said.

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Wildlife ranger Steve Coulson was called in to do the honours.

The eggs were the size of plums, and were in clumps like grapes. The babies went in one sack, while a bigger sack had to be fetched for the snaky mum.

Parents, who were arriving at home time to pick up young tots, crowded around the doorway to the room.

There was lots of squealing, laughing, running about and taking photos (the parents), and one offer to hold a snake (a toddler).

Mr Coulson said the baby pythons were "pretty harmless".

He said even if the snakes did bite, their bite marks would be pin pricks that only needed to be disinfected.

The big ones though, he said, could deliver a "decent sort of gash" but were non-venomous.

He said carpet pythons were common around Darwin, and often found food and shelter in roofs.

"They eat possums and rats," he said.

More at the NT News