A family in Australia got the shock of their lives after discovering a giant python wrapped around their car's rearview mirror when they returned to their parked car after picnicking.

The family in Queensland, while visiting Mango Hills in Brisbane, left the car's windows slightly open to keep it cool before they headed out to the picnic spot. On returning, they saw the 1.3-meter coastal carpet python curled up on the bracket of the mirror, calmly staring back into the cabin. The terrified family called up a snake catcher, Josh Castle, who deployed one of his staff to safely remove the reptile from the family's car, 9 News reported.

Castle said the python must have crept in through the small opening of the car's window. "Snakes love squeezing into tight areas, including under-car bonnets, under decks, etc," Castle said. The wet weather must have also encouraged the reptile to seek shelter in the car, Castle added.

However, Castle who has experience in catching snakes from all possible hideouts, admitted that it was an unusual place to find a snake. “I have pulled them out of car bonnets and stuff like that, which is more to be expected because they can get into a bonnet from underneath. The fact it was actually in the car and soaking in the sun through the window on the mirror is quite weird," he said, as reported by 7 News.com.au.

Castle shared the photos of the snake through his Facebook page and has received several comments from his viewers. "Forget fluffy dice! Only in Australia would you come back to your car to see a coastal carpet python wrapped around the mirror," Castle captioned his post.

"Theft proof," a user commented on the post to which Castle agreed saying: "Yep, even the owner of the car didn’t wanna take it." "Python can have the car I’ll walk home, thanks, no matter the distance," another commented.

A coastal carpet python would grow around two to four meters in length. The nonvenomous carpet pythons usually feed on rodents, frogs, and other reptiles. Though they live on the ground amid dense vegetation, they are also known to hide above-ground environments such as roof and wall cavities, exposed beams of verandahs and pergolas, sheds, and garages.

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