Man Finds Deadly Snake on Car Dashboard: 'Shocked'

Imagine peering into your wife's car only to find a deadly snake slithering around inside.

That is exactly what happened to a man in Campbelltown in New South Wales, Australia, on Monday afternoon.

"[The] client was shocked," snake catcher Cody from Reptile Relocation Sydney told Newsweek.

In a post on Facebook, Cody detailed how the client had been cleaning his own car when water splashed onto his wife's windscreen. It was only when he went to wipe down the windscreen that he spotted the venomous visitor slithering across the dashboard.

"How is this for a car alarm sssystem!" Cody said. "Pretty lucky that the excess water splashed over and the snake was then sighted, could imagine the drive to work the next morning would have been quite eventful."

Exactly how the snake got into the car remains a mystery.

"There's several ways it could have gotten in," Cody said. "A door left open or if a bag was placed on the ground and the snake went in and they accidentally put the snake in the car. Really we will never know."

The snake in question was a three-foot red bellied black snake, a species that Cody described as being highly venomous: "[They] can cause a lot of damage."

The snakes are usually found along the east coast of Australia and can be recognized by their black shiny bodies and bright red underbellies, from which their name derives. The species can grow to around 5 feet to 6.5 feet on average and they are usually found in moist habitats, like swamps and streams, according to the Australian Museum.

These snakes are fairly shy and tend to avoid aggressive encounters. However, they may still bite if they feel threatened or harassed.

Their venom contains a potent toxin that targets the blood and muscles and can be deadly if left untreated. However, according to the Victoria state government there have been no confirmed human deaths from red bellied black snake bites in recent history.

"If people sight a snake on their property they should keep an eye on it from a safe distance and watch it leave the yard," Cody said. "Or if they want it removed they should call a licensed and insured catcher to remove."