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

Now you've been living together for 15 years, is it time to move onto first name terms with Mr Hissy?

Do not let them move Mr Hissy! He's protected. As others have said, print out the stuff and say no.

Loved reading this. Mr Hissy stays!

Your neighbours sound daft.

If she has such a phobia she should stick to living in a city in an apartment building or move to a different country...

Well done neighbour and yay for Mr Hissy doing a great job on the rodents there. 👌I wish I had a carpet putting under my house.
I had a pet snake once but never again cos he really wanted to be a wild snake (we gave him a good life but instincts are instincts). Having a resident snake would be ideal.

In England we have people who move to quaint old villages and then complain about the ‘noise’ from church bells. Some even try to get them silenced. Should have done some research before moving to unfamiliar territory!

I’m on Team Hissy. Can’t imagine why anyone with a snake phobia would move to FNQ.

Edited to add I’m glad it’s all worked out OK now. Well done, OP.

Got to love the algorithms these days.

After checking this post again this morning, via my Facebook feed I now have an option to attend a First Aid for Snakebite and Venomous Snake Handling course 😀

Unless you are terribly unlucky, nobody should die from a properly treated snakebite. Despite have the world’s most venomous snakes by far, only 1 or 2 people die from snakebite in Australia each year.

I remember being outraged by a Baywatch episode in the 1990’s- they still showed the cut and suck method. That person would have died in real life.

@FarewellMsSorrow When it comes to snakes in Australia, keeping your relationship formal safer. You wouldn't want to cause offence.

Hooray for Mr. Hissy!

I'm glad that your neighbour has seen sense.

That also has singing bears and dancing monkeys.

You need to google how many babies die of snake suffocation each year.

It's OK, we'll wait.

How do you manage to look both down at your feet and up above you at the same time, in case Snakes (or spiders)?

<shudder>

From the Last Continent - Terry Pratchett:

Death held out a hand. I WANT, he said, A BOOK ABOUT THE DANGEROUS CREATURES OF FOURECKS- (AKA...)
Albert looked up and dived for cover, receiving only mild bruising because he had the foresight to curl into a ball.
After a while Death, his voice a little muffled, said: ALBERT, I WOULD BE SO GRATEFUL IF YOU COULD GIVE ME A HAND HERE.
Albert scrambled up and pulled at some of the huge volumes, finally dislodging enough of them for his master to clamber free.
HMM... Death picked up a book at random and read the cover. "DANGEROUS MAMMALS, REPTILES, AMPHIBIANS, BIRDS, FISH, JELLYFISH, INSECTS, SPIDERS, CRUSTACEANS, GRASSES, TREES, MOSSES, AND LICHENS OF TERROR INCOGNITA, " he read. His gaze moved down the spine. VOLUME 29C, he added. OH. PART THREE, I SEE.
He glanced up at the listening shelves. POSSIBLY IT WOULD BE SIMPLER IF I ASKED FOR A LIST OF THE HARMLESS CREATURES OF THE AFORESAID CONTINENT?
They waited.
IT WOULD APPEAR THAT-
"No, wait master. Here it comes."
Albert pointed to something white zigzagging lazily through the air. Finally Death reached up an caught the single sheet of paper.
He read it carefully and then turned it over briefly just in case anything was written on the other side.
"May I?" said Albert. Death handed him the paper.
"'Some of the sheep, '" Albert read aloud. "Oh, well. Maybe a week at the seaside'd be better, then."
WHAT AN INTRIGUING PLACE, said Death. SADDLE UP THE HORSE, ALBERT. I FEEL SURE I'M GOING TO BE NEEDED.

I've just wiki-ed this. It has a list of people who died from snakebite- and some of the quite hair raising attempts to treat which if the snake hadn't got them the treatment would have. (Injected with strychnine for example). So many tragic stories. Also so many people who refused medical help- even AFTER anti venom became a thing. Baffling.

But generally speaking - numbers of fatalities are relatively small, thank goodness.

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_of_fatal_snake_bites_in_Australia

Best thread ever, Mr Hissy stays .

You Aussies are hardcore!

Whilst I feel sorry for your neighbour and would also be very scared, I think she needs to emigrate to somewhere cold.

XH did an internship in a Texas poisons centre, and the most common reason for a snakebite was people getting drunk and driving out to the desert to kiss rattlesnakes.

WTF?

Double wtf!!

hahahaha aa

We had a carpet snake in the ceiling… we needed to warn electricians, etc…. I came home from high school one day to hear a feeble “heeeeelp” and saw some skinny, hairy, booted legs hanging from the ceiling. In his rush to escape “Monty”, (python) he had kicked the ladder down. He also mentioned that Monty had a VERY fat belly and we worked out where my missing kitten had disappeared to. 😢😢😢

I'm so happy that you stood up for Mr Hissy. Please don't let him go!

Bifocals

@Fraaahnces big hugs.

@TheMaddHugger Thsnks - was about 40 years ago. Still pro Mr Hissies. They are native and cats (no matter how beloved) are extremely destructive to the Australian wildlife.