You won't believe what this snake catcher found in a toilet and his hilarious response!
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With many of us here in Australia on the lookout for the occasional surprise snake on our property, it's unlikely that anybody would be able to even think of something that could shock a professional snake catcher like Rolly.
Having been in the business for more than five decades, it's fair to say that he's seen it all – from questionable whips and chains to bizarre finds in someone’s old shed – but one story from his past month of work has been even more unusual than, well, the usual stuff he sees while on the job.
Meet Rolly, a wildlife expert from Snake Catchers Adelaide with over 50 years of experience under his belt.
While his day-to-day work involves safely catching and relocating venomous snakes, it's the unexpected glimpses into other people's lives often provide the most surprises.
‘I’ve seen everything,’ Rolly shared in an interview with reporters.
‘From whips and chains in the cellar to dope crops in a shed,’ he continued.
However, one hilarious incident involving a panic-stricken resident and a peculiar discovery in her toilet had Rolly laughing even more than the whips and chains.
After receiving a frantic phone call, Rolly was asked to help retrieve a snake from the resident's toilet.
‘As snake catchers, we do quite often get unusual phone calls and findings - so this one we just add to the list….’ The wildlife expert wrote on social media.
The unsuspecting woman sent him a picture of her discovery, and upon seeing the image, Rolly rang the resident back immediately.
To her horror, Rolly responded: ‘Look, it's not a snake, it's some type of tapeworm...And it's probably come out of your bum.’
‘I think you need to go to a chemist,’ he recalled himself saying.
‘I was going to ask her if she wanted to go fishing, and she could have stood next to me and supplied the worms,’ he jokingly added.
Social media users were also quick to comment on Rolly’s post.
‘Looks like someone has worms,’ one joked.
‘Um, the snakes are inside you,’ another replied.
While one inquired: ‘Wouldn’t you just flush it?’
‘At least the toilet is clean!’ Someone else wrote.
‘I would have died of embarrassment if I was the caller,’ one more responded.
As funny as this scenario is, it turns out this scenario is actually pretty common.
Approximately 3.5 billion people are actually affected by intestinal worms each year, according to the National Institutes of Health.
Additionally, there are many kinds of worms that can affect humans. Thankfully, most are not a problem in Australia because of the climate and the country’s good standard of sanitation.
The most common worm infestation encountered here is threadworm, which typically affects children but can also be transmitted to adults.
Other common types of worms that affect humans are roundworms, which can cause vomiting, fever, and general body pain.
To prevent these parasites from infecting humans, it is important to maintain good hygiene, use properly cooked food, and drink safe water.
Of course, the resident who found the worm in her toilet didn't provide Rolly with any updates on her trip to the chemist.
But upon further inspection, the worm found in the woman’s toilet wasn’t actually a tapeworm.
After sending the accompanying image to various worm experts, Professor of Parasitology Malcolm Jones identified the creature as an earthworm.
‘Looking at the worm, I note that it is red in colour. Usually, intestinal parasites are white or cream,’ the professor explained.
‘It could be from a backflow in the toilet or something that fell off the person’s clothing as they sat on the toilet.’
The discovery was backed up by Professor Andrew Thompson from Murdoch University, who said that the creature was, indeed, an earthworm.
So, while the good news is that this Adelaide resident didn't have an intestinal worm problem, the unusual encounter certainly gave Rolly a memorable story to share and perhaps even provided some amusement for everyone involved.
Do you have any similar stories or bizarre encounters with wildlife in your home? Feel free to send them our way and share your experiences in the comments below!
Having been in the business for more than five decades, it's fair to say that he's seen it all – from questionable whips and chains to bizarre finds in someone’s old shed – but one story from his past month of work has been even more unusual than, well, the usual stuff he sees while on the job.
Meet Rolly, a wildlife expert from Snake Catchers Adelaide with over 50 years of experience under his belt.
While his day-to-day work involves safely catching and relocating venomous snakes, it's the unexpected glimpses into other people's lives often provide the most surprises.
‘I’ve seen everything,’ Rolly shared in an interview with reporters.
A snake catcher revealed what he found in one client’s home. Credit: Petr Ganaj/Pexels
‘From whips and chains in the cellar to dope crops in a shed,’ he continued.
However, one hilarious incident involving a panic-stricken resident and a peculiar discovery in her toilet had Rolly laughing even more than the whips and chains.
After receiving a frantic phone call, Rolly was asked to help retrieve a snake from the resident's toilet.
‘As snake catchers, we do quite often get unusual phone calls and findings - so this one we just add to the list….’ The wildlife expert wrote on social media.
The snake catcher shared the photo on social media. Credit: Snake Catchers Adelaide/Facebook
The unsuspecting woman sent him a picture of her discovery, and upon seeing the image, Rolly rang the resident back immediately.
To her horror, Rolly responded: ‘Look, it's not a snake, it's some type of tapeworm...And it's probably come out of your bum.’
‘I think you need to go to a chemist,’ he recalled himself saying.
‘I was going to ask her if she wanted to go fishing, and she could have stood next to me and supplied the worms,’ he jokingly added.
Social media users were also quick to comment on Rolly’s post.
‘Looks like someone has worms,’ one joked.
‘Um, the snakes are inside you,’ another replied.
While one inquired: ‘Wouldn’t you just flush it?’
‘At least the toilet is clean!’ Someone else wrote.
‘I would have died of embarrassment if I was the caller,’ one more responded.
As funny as this scenario is, it turns out this scenario is actually pretty common.
Approximately 3.5 billion people are actually affected by intestinal worms each year, according to the National Institutes of Health.
Additionally, there are many kinds of worms that can affect humans. Thankfully, most are not a problem in Australia because of the climate and the country’s good standard of sanitation.
The most common worm infestation encountered here is threadworm, which typically affects children but can also be transmitted to adults.
Other common types of worms that affect humans are roundworms, which can cause vomiting, fever, and general body pain.
To prevent these parasites from infecting humans, it is important to maintain good hygiene, use properly cooked food, and drink safe water.
Of course, the resident who found the worm in her toilet didn't provide Rolly with any updates on her trip to the chemist.
But upon further inspection, the worm found in the woman’s toilet wasn’t actually a tapeworm.
After sending the accompanying image to various worm experts, Professor of Parasitology Malcolm Jones identified the creature as an earthworm.
‘Looking at the worm, I note that it is red in colour. Usually, intestinal parasites are white or cream,’ the professor explained.
‘It could be from a backflow in the toilet or something that fell off the person’s clothing as they sat on the toilet.’
The discovery was backed up by Professor Andrew Thompson from Murdoch University, who said that the creature was, indeed, an earthworm.
So, while the good news is that this Adelaide resident didn't have an intestinal worm problem, the unusual encounter certainly gave Rolly a memorable story to share and perhaps even provided some amusement for everyone involved.
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