Living in Australia means you might have to accept coming across a snake or two on your property at some point. But one Sydney homeowner got more than he bargained for when a snake catcher unearthed 102 of the slithery reptiles hiding in his garden.

When his colleague arrived, he discovered 40 red-bellied black snakes - four of which gave birth to more live young once he had placed them in a removal bag. Red-bellied black snakes are one of the most common venomous species in Australia but have not caused any human deaths on record.

A man described feeling “the shudders” as more than 100 venomous red-bellied black snakes were removed from a pile of mulch in his Sydney backyard. David Stein called Reptile Relocation Sydney last week after watching around six snakes slither into the mulch.