Riverina resident Richard Wilton was greeted with a slithering sight when he walked out of his home early on Monday morning, January 29.
Subscribe now for unlimited access.
$0/
(min cost $0)
or signup to continue reading
Looking up, he noticed a python of more than two metres with a diameter between 70 and 80 millimetres curled up on the beam under the verandah.
"It's probably the biggest snake I've seen out in the wild," he said.
Mr Wilton said the snake must have become aware of human activity because it then began to move.
"It must have seen us looking at it and tried to work out what was going on because it went up and was trying to get up into the roof.
"It ended up going up into the gutter, underneath the corrugated iron sheets and into the roof cavity."
Despite some concern from his wife, the Pulletop couple decided to let the snake be.
"She was a bit worried," Mr Wilton said.
"It's up there somewhere."
"We decided not to worry about it in the end because it would be too difficult for (the snake catcher) to get up there and look for it and we live nearly an hour from Wagga," he said.
Besides, he said they have heard "funny noises" in the roof before.
"I reckon it's probably been this or another snake which ran up there before," he said.
"They probably go up there because there's bats, mice and rats in the roof."
Seeking professional advice from the snake man, Mr Wilton said he was told the python probably went in for a "look around and see if there's something to eat, then it will move on".
Reflecting on the amount of snake activity this summer, Mr Wilton said there had been more around.
"I've seen quite a few black and brown snakes around the garden," he said.
"We also see a few pythons, they're not unusual where we are."