Woman Awakens to Find 8-Foot Python Coiled on Her Chest

In a startling midnight encounter, Australian woman Rachel Bloor woke to find an 8-foot carpet python coiled across her chest after it slithered into her second-story bedroom in Brisbane, Queensland.

Bloor initially mistook the weight on her body for her dog. When she reached under the covers and felt something smooth move beneath her hand, she quickly realized her mistake.

“To my horror, I realized it wasn’t my dog,” Bloor told the BBC.

She immediately alerted her husband, who turned on the lights and delivered the alarming news: “Oh baby. Don’t move. There is like a 2.5-meter python on you.”

Bloor’s first concern was for her pets. Fearing a confrontation between the snake and her Dalmatian, she asked her husband to remove the dogs from the room before carefully working her way out from beneath the covers.

“I sort of side shuffled out,” she explained.

In a remarkable display of composure, Bloor decided against calling a professional snake handler. Instead, she managed the situation herself, grasping the massive reptile and guiding it out through a window.

“I grabbed him,” she recounted. “He didn’t seem overly freaked out. He sort of just wobbled in my hand.”

The snake was identified as a carpet python, a non-venomous constrictor commonly found throughout Australia’s coastal regions. Though capable of killing prey through constriction, these snakes generally pose minimal danger to humans and are known for their relatively docile nature when handled properly.

Bloor believes the python entered her bedroom through plantation shutters on her window before making its way onto the bed while she slept. “It was that big that even though it had been curled up on me, part of its tail was still out the shutter,” she said.

Despite the frightening encounter, Bloor maintained a sense of perspective, noting she was relieved it wasn’t another animal. “Toads freak me out,” she admitted.

Snake activity has increased significantly in recent months across Queensland. Local snake catcher Kurt Whyte explained to ABC News that with breeding season concluded and eggs beginning to hatch, more snakes are on the move.

“Obviously, with this hot weather, we’re seeing plenty of them getting out and about and basking in this sun,” Whyte said.

The incident highlights a growing trend of human-wildlife interactions in Australia, particularly as urban development continues to encroach upon natural habitats. While snake populations themselves haven’t necessarily increased, encounters are becoming more common as housing developments expand into bushland areas.

“They have got to find places to live, and our backyards are offering the perfect habitat,” Whyte explained.

Wildlife experts caution that common household features can provide easy access points for snakes seeking shelter, particularly during extreme weather conditions. “Unfortunately, the gaps in our garage doors… provide the perfect entry points for a snake,” Whyte noted.

The incident serves as a reminder for residents in snake-prone areas to remain vigilant, particularly during warmer months when reptile activity increases. Experts recommend sealing potential entry points around homes, keeping yards clear of debris, and maintaining awareness, especially in regions where encounters with native wildlife are common.

For those who do encounter snakes in their homes, authorities generally recommend maintaining distance and contacting professional snake handlers, making Bloor’s calm self-management of the situation all the more remarkable.