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

Poor Mr Hissy has lived there for 15 years with no trouble. You can’t kick him out! Tell the neighbour to piss off.

The snakes I'm fine with.

This, however harmless the huntsmen are, has made me shudder. I don't like our UK house spiders.

For context, I was once bitten by a tiny, outside, UK spider (not known to be venomous over here but they can bite, whatever anyone says). Reacted really badly, hand swelled right up (and on hot days still goes a bit with some itchiness). Made me feel really unwell, had to have massive antibiotics which also made me nauseous. And didn't even turn into spider woman after all that!

Anyway I think I'm allowed to be wary of spiders after that.

But I would still love a Mr Hissy.

that she couldn’t sleep ever again knowing he was next door.

"Well at least when you're dead in a couple of weeks from sleep deprivation you won't have to worry about him any more."

As far as I'm concerned, you Aussies are all bloody mental, living in the land of the killer flora and fauna 😅.

HOWEVER we all know that the land belongs to said killer fauna so only an idiot would move there if they had a fear of snakes, spiders or the like.

I am like your neighbour so I remain in my nice, temperate climate where the scuttly,
slithery things are small and non-venemous.

It's Mr Hissy's house, you're just living in it.

Spiders do bite, most aren’t strong enough to break the skin but some are. I can never sleep if I’ve seen one in the house so there is no way that I could cope with a snake. The OP sounds very brave.

What I do like about hot countries are the tiny little lizards that live in peoples houses, running around eating insects. They are so cute, not been to Oz but assume they are there too.

Love this thread.
Mr Hissy must be the Australian cousin of Sir Hiss of Robin Hood.
Obviously this woman needs to move or cure herself. Another snake could move in even if you removed Mr Hissy (but please don’t he is a respected if bendy pillar of the community - clearly).

So my friend was terrified of spiders and she did this London zoo experience where they hypnotise you and then make you hold spiders. She said there were people there so scared they would cry if spiders were even mentioned. After the session they were all cured. It’s apparently got an almost total success rate. Maybe there is something similar at a zoo near you that you could suggest?

Otherwise I think sit on the porch with a rifle and defend Mr Hissy with your very life.

Team Mr Hissy!

I'm a wildlife biologist, if he goes another will just move in as obviously it's a comfy safe place with lots of food available. I sympathise with phobias as they are irrational but she can't move to your region then expect the wildlife to be neatly collected and removed to suit her.

I love snakes but having accidentally disturbed a black mamba once on a field trip I think I'd take Mr Hissy over the venomous type any day. Carpet pythons are harmless.

Neighbours come and go...
Mr Hissy will be there for life!

@Buffypaws , " bendy pilliar of the community " 🤣🤣🤣.

@pollyglot waves from across the pond 👋

I think this is where people don't realise the sheer enormity of Australia. I am only 3 hours out of Sydney and over winter I've been having to hose the car down to get the ice off in the morning. Regularly less than 4 degrees overnight. Around 10-15 during the day. Tasmania , and the Alpine regions ( yes we have snowfields) are even colder.
FNQ ( Far North Queensland ) may as well be another country, compared to the southern states, with regard to temperature. You can kind of take your pick.

This thread only showed part of the title in my trending on the left of the page and I only clicked because I thought (hoped) it would be my neighbours freaking out about my underwear on the washing line.

How wrong was I.

anyways, snakes scare the life out of me, so I’m Team Neighbour, sorry Mr Hissy.

This thread has taught me that I should no longer get irritated when squirrels and magpies steal all the food from my bird feeders in my garden, as in comparison they're cute and cuddly little blighters!

WTAF is she living in Australia if she's scared of snakes 😵‍💫

Yes. A minor problem in comparison.
It's a cool and damp morning here in Yorkshire but I prefer this over living somewhere that has the ten deadliest creatures on the planet.

Loving this thread though. I don't have TikTok so I will have to look up carpet pythons elsewhere. The TikTok link won't work for me unless I download the app.

Awww leave him be. Tel, the neighbours to move.

ScottBakula ... are you visiting Oz??

I’m Tasmanian (though live in the UK) and am just jealous that QLDs have non deadly snakes! Our three species are all deadly, though admittedly one of them is unlikely to kill you in reality).

Gosh Australia really is something different.
Team Mr Hissy though.

Sadly I also think this is likely to happen.

If it's a genuine phobia, I think you're being unkind. Phobias are all consuming, and to choose a wild animal over your neighbour who you like, seems unfair.

YANBU to ask them to get a proper contractor in to remove it safely.

Oh and it's easy for posters to side with a snake on the other side of the world. I guarantee most of us would HATE to have a snake living near our property. You're not getting an accurate picture here.

Nope nope nope

Yeah I've shouted at a squirrel this morning for eating my sunflowers. I'd quite like a Mr Hissy to deter them!

The spiders not so much.

C'mon @MrHissyLives you know the rules..we need a diagram.

😂

mr hissy has to stay! it’s his home and he has just as much of a right to be there as you all do. i agree with the other posters that she is living in the wrong area if she has a phobia of snakes! that is absolutely not your problem, and certainly not mr hissy’s :)