Aussie makes a terrifying discovery inside toilet: 'Worst nightmare'

An Aussie has received the fright of their life after discovering their plumbing issues were caused by a venomous snake in their toilet.

Snake Catchers Brisbane and Gold Coast were called to a home on Friday after residents spotted the unwanted reptile inside their toilet cistern.

The homeowners had been experiencing 'mild plumbing' issues for about two weeks before discovering that the cause of their toilet troubles was a snake.

Snake catcher Jaedon coaxed the highly venomous Eastern Brown snake out of its new-found home.

A series of photos were shared on social media, with one showing the snake curled up in the cistern and another of Jaedon using two hands to pull the reptile out of the toilet.

'After a lot of very careful manoeuvring, Jaedon, our snake catcher, was able to safely remove the snake,' Snake Catches Brisbane, and Gold Coast wrote on Facebook.

'While it is undoubtedly shocking that such a highly venomous snake was in the client's toilet for so long, it highlights that these snakes, when not intentionally disturbed, are not inherently aggressive like many people assume.'

The snake catchers explained the reptiles make their way into a household toilet through damaged pipes, vents within the plumbing system, loose lids on septic tanks or through open windows.

Social media users shared their fears, with one person claiming it's their 'worst nightmare' while another wrote they 'would literally die' if they saw a snake in their toilet.

Others explained it was a good reminder for Aussies to always check their toilets before sitting down.

'I'm checking the dunny every time I walk into a bathroom from now on,' one person wrote.

'Well... I'll be sure to be checking those places today,' another commented.

A third said: 'I check before sitting. Even late at night when you don't want to turn the light on. One must!'

Eastern browns are one of Australia's most venomous snakes, with their venom ranked as the second most toxic of any land snake in the world behind another Australian native - the inland taipan.

The adult eastern brown snake has a slender build and can grow up to two metres in length.

The colour of its surface can be almost any shade of brown, ranging from nearly black to light tan, chestnut or burnt orange, while its underside is a pale cream-yellow and often has orange or grey splotches.

The species is native to central and eastern Australia - excluding Tasmania - and can also be found in Papua New Guinea.

Eastern Browns are found in a range of habitats, including dry forests, coastal ranges, woodlands, farmland, scrublands, as well as drier areas that receive intermittent flooding.

Fatal snake bites are relatively rare, with two people dying on average per year, since the introduction of a national antivenom program.

Eastern Browns account for the majority of snake bite deaths with up to 65 per cent of fatalities between 2000 and 2016 attributed to the species, according to National Coronial Information Service.

Eastern Browns are responsible for the majority of snake bite deaths, according to statistics released by the National Coronial Information Service.

Up to 65 per cent of fatalities between 2000 and 2016 were attributed to the venomous species.

As the initial bite is generally painless and often difficult to detect, anyone suspected of receiving a bite from an Eastern Brown Snake should seek medical attention immediately.