A Deadly Giant Snake Decided This Christmas Tree Looked Like a Nice Place to Live

 (photodeer/iStockPhoto)

When you’re naughty at Christmas in the U.S., you get coal in your stocking. When you’re naughty at Christmas in Australia, you get giant deadly snakes in your Christmas tree.

According to CNN, an Australian woman named Cheryl was just going about her business, enjoying the holiday spirit, when she woke up Sunday morning and noticed an enormous, deadly tiger snake had climbed her Christmas tree and was just hanging out there like an extra bit of tinsel, or like the Elf on the Shelf is about to have a really bad day.

Tiger snakes are extremely venomous, and the woman did exactly what one is supposed to do in this situation–because apparently this sort of thing just happens sometimes in Australia–she took a picture, left the room, shoved a towel under the door, and immediately called a professional snake catcher to come get the thing.

Snake catcher Barry Goldsmith told the BBC that he’s found snakes in all kinds of places, including washing machines, cat boxes, dog kennels, and Ugg boots.

Goldsmith posted a photo of the snake in the tree to Facebook, where it probably just kicked off a whole round of brand-new snake phobias. The snake is just sort of dangling there between the ornaments like, “Hey, check out this cool tree I found.”

Goldsmith says the snakes get more active when the weather is warm, and it’s currently the height of summer in Australia. Normally we debate how long it is appropriate to keep a Christmas tree decorated, but in this woman’s case, I think she can leave this tree decorated for as long as she wants. Maybe just wait until after the first frost to risk touching that thing.