Image caption The snakes - said to be dehydrated but fine - were released into the wild

An Australian toddler had a lucky escape after eggs he stashed in his wardrobe hatched deadly snakes.

Kyle Cummings, three, found the eggs near his home in Townsville, Queensland, several days ago and put them in a plastic container before tucking them away.

On Monday his mother found seven newly hatched eastern brown snakes in the container.

The snakes, which are highly venomous, have since been released into the wild.

The reptiles were only 12-15cm long, according to Trish Prendergast of North Queensland Wildlife Care, who released the snakes.

"Their fangs are only a few millimetres long at that age, so they probably couldn't break the skin, but they're just as venomous as full-grown snakes," she told the Associated Press news agency.

The eastern brown snake is second only to the Inland Taipan when it comes to venom.

In September a Sydney teenager survived a bite on the hand from an Inland Taipan. He was rushed to hospital and given anti-venom.