Neighbours freaking out about my under house python- Mr Hissy

[MrHissyLives]

I live on tropical northern Australia and have had a resident carpet python living under my house. My kids call him Mr Hissy. I’ve been here 15 years and have seen him about half a dozen times, usually sliding in or out between the slats that close off the under side of my house. Carpet pythons are famously zen and most Aussies are happy to have one in their shed as they won’t bother you and keep the rats sorted.

Anyhow, I heard dramatic screaming last evening and rushed out to see my terrified neighbour frozen in fear, looking over our fence as Mr Hissy went back in under my house. I explained he has been there forever and is harmless but she was having a proper freak out and shouting that she couldn’t sleep ever again knowing he was next door. I said that there would be dozens mores snakes in our tropical gardens that she had never seen and she had lived there for three years and clearly Mr Hissy had never bothered her. This did not help. Her husband arrived home and said his wife was terrified of snakes and Mr Hissy Had.To.Go. In fact, he would call his cousin to come and remove Mr Hissy. I said no. Mr Hissy was on my property and was welcome to stay. They gave me death stares and left.

I do understand that phobias are irrational but fuck me, Mr Hissy has never done anything to them. I’m certainly not letting some random cousin come and get Mr Hissy- he will either take him away and kill him or release him somewhere where he won’t survive. In fact pythons are a protected species and only authorised wildlife removalists can move them as they will know the release places where the snake will most likely survive.

I’ve always got on well with these neighbours up till this point. Should I tell them that if they pay for an authorised wildlife remover to come and get Mr Hissy, I will allow it? Would that be a reasonable compromise? I really don’t want Mr Hissy to go, but is it worth falling out with my neighbours over?

So YABU- let neighbours pay to remove Mr Hissy
YANBU- Mr Hissy stays

I've seen adders here - welsh mountains, where theres really short cropped rather tough grass, and heather or similar sort of land so theres places to bask in the sun, and places to hide...

And also in the west midlands in an old orchard, again short cropped sheep grazed grass and lots of nooks and crannies to hide in.

Grass snakes are more typically found by water, and longer grass - and both are partial to a muck heap at various times of year (the heat, and the constant food supply found on farm yards/stable yards).

Never seen our 3rd species in the wild, the smooth snake - they're very rare and like the sandy sunny ranges around the south west.

Adders are easy to miss if you're not looking for them, they are very dark, pretty small and curl up small, and can slide away silently barely disturbing the foliage around them. Grass snakes are more commonly spotted as they are paler in colour, have a yellow band round the neck which does stand out and catch the eye... and they are considerably bigger!

From the other side of the world I really want to be team Mr Hissy but I have a real phobia of snakes, someone around 6 miles from my house posted on social media that they had lost a pet snake and I genuinely didn't sleep for 2 weeks until it was found

Florida is also the world capital of lightning strikes. They don’t tend to advertise that either.

I used to live in the US, and I would have moved house if I’d seen a snake in our street, but that’s my problem. You have to accept native wildlife.

Giant pythons, sink holes and lightning strikes? I wouldn’t want to work for the Florida Tourist Board.

Smokers should be done for ABH after people can't stop breathing sorry for derail

Also a reminder never to build a pond!! 😂

I was Googling snakes to see what these carpet snakes look like. First hit ‘The serpent, a symbol of evil power and chaos from the underworld‘.

Terrifying.

Yes, exactly what I thought!! Ugh…

@SSpratt but did you Google 'Mr Hissy' (love that name 😁🤣)

Hahaha. I just did, this thread was top hit, followed by a drawing on deviant art. 🤣🤣

All the more reason to join Team Mr Hissy - that way you'll know he's happily staying put under OPs house on the other side of the world. One less snake to worry about!

MR HISSY FOR U.S. PRESIDENT

HISSY HARRIS 2024

This is why I will never EVER visit Australia. I have a massive snake phobia, so just wouldn't live there, but I know they're there. If I was her, I'd move to a block of flats 🤣

Won’t Mr hissy discourage spiders and other snakes from taking up residence too? Better the devil you know etc

My friends filled theirs in after seeing the video of the snakes in the water - we had to adopt the fish out of guilt 😂

@TheWeeDonkeyFella what a great point!! #TeamMrHissy

That's funny! I also never put my fingers where I can't see where they are going and what might be there. And I still bang my shoes before putting them on (Huntsman spiders). 25 years in the UK now and it's pretty ingrained. When staying with my parents are we always shake the pillow before getting into bed in case anything ahs crawled in and lift up the duvet to check underneath as well. I don't do the latter anymore though.

Rummly · Yesterday 10:41
Where do all these adders live? In all my decades - including plenty of time spent in the UK countryside - I’ve never had the privilege of seeing one. 😞

I live right down on the south coast and we have quite a bit of MOD land, adders are rife during the summer months. A lady got bitten last year quite badly on the foot, it made the local news and all over FB.

People who have lived here for years are well aware of them but new people not so much. FB always have warnings and photos of adders when they are spotted especially for people who walk dogs off lead on the land.

😀 Same here. I didn't even think about it as being odd in any way, but it is an automatic action. I flip my pillow over every single night before I get in bed. I realise now this too is just an ingrained habit.

I have had spiders on my bed, but thinking back I don't actually think I have ever found one by doing the pillow flip. I will most probably just continue doing it though as I am sure I will feel like I missed a 'going to bed' step if I do 😂

Just a quick update. Mr Hissy is safe. Neighbour and I mutually made eye contact when taking bins in and we have had a chat. She has calmed down and isn’t gunning for Mr Hissy anymore. Neighbour says it was the shock of seeing a very large snake unexpectedly that made her react badly. She said she knows that there would be snakes everywhere, but Mr Hissy upset her because he was undeniably real I suppose. Neighbour and Mr Neighbour talked to friends who all said what everyone in this thread says- if Mr Hissy goes, nature will fill the vacuum and the replacement might not be as nice as Mr Hissy.

Everyone’s happy and there is no awkwardness.

ETA Thanks for everyone’s nature encounter stories. Non-bendy swarming bees was my favourite. I’ve learnt heaps!

Great! By the way I LOVE Mr Hissy's name!

So pleased she’s seen sense 🐍

👌

Very glad to hear it has all been happily resolved. Long live Mr Hissy🐍.

PS
I have asked for this thread to be moved to Classics. It's been a brilliant thread.