She Opens a Bedroom Drawer and Finds a Rare Blue Snake Inside

Quick Take

• A snake called a 'green tree snake' showed up in brilliant blue, and there is a biological reason why that is possible. See the blue color explained →
• Australia's most venomous species aren't the only ones that can end up in your bedroom, and this one carries a surprise twist. Discover the non-venomous twist →
• When threatened, this snake does something with its scales that most people have never seen before. See the threatened display →
• The drawer was not a random hiding spot. There is a specific reason this snake ended up inside the house. Find out why it hid inside →

Opening a bedroom drawer should be one of the least adventurous parts of your day. For one woman, it turned into a wildlife encounter she definitely was not expecting.

Curled up inside the dresser is a slender snake in a spectacular shade of blue. It may look exotic enough to belong somewhere far from civilization, but this is a rare color form of Australia’s common tree snake, a species that is surprisingly comfortable around gardens, verandahs, and occasionally even houses.

Quick Take

• The snake in the clip appears to be a common tree snake, Dendrelaphis punctulata.
• Most are green, olive, brown, or black, but rare individuals can be blue or turquoise.
• Common tree snakes are non-venomous and mainly hunt frogs, skinks, and other small animals.
• The species is an agile climber but is also frequently seen around gardens, verandahs, and sometimes inside homes.

She Opens the Drawer and Finds Something Bright Blue Inside

The homeowner gets quite a surprise when the dresser drawer reveals a snake tucked among her belongings. The animal’s brilliant blue coloring makes the encounter look even more unreal.

Despite appearances, this is not a separate species called a “blue tree snake.” Common tree snakes can vary dramatically in color. Most are shades of green, olive, brown, or nearly black, but Queensland wildlife authorities note that a rare form can be blue or turquoise.

Why Can a “Green” Tree Snake Be Completely Blue?

The name “green tree snake” can be a little misleading because this species comes in an unusually broad range of colors. The Queensland government describes common tree snakes as gray, olive-green, brown, black, and, in rare cases, blue.

There is another splash of blue that can appear even on snakes that are not blue overall. When threatened, a common tree snake may expand or flatten its body, exposing bright blue skin between its scales. A naturally blue individual like the one in this encounter takes that already unusual color palette to another level.

How Did a Tree Snake End Up in a Bedroom?

The name suggests an animal that should be high in the branches, and common tree snakes are excellent climbers. They live in habitats ranging from rainforest and woodland to suburban gardens, and they regularly move through trees, shrubs, verandahs, and areas around homes.

They also hunt on the ground and sometimes turn up inside houses. Frogs and skinks make up much of their diet, so yards and homes that provide shelter or attract small prey can occasionally attract a wandering snake as well. That does not prove this particular visitor entered the dresser looking for a meal. The drawer may simply have offered a dark, protected place to hide.

The Bright Color Looks Dangerous, but This Snake Is Not Venomous

Australia has more than enough snakes worth giving plenty of space, but the common tree snake is not one of its dangerously venomous species. It is completely non-venomous and lacks venom-delivering fangs.

That does not mean anyone should start reaching into the drawer. Common tree snakes can bite if they are cornered or handled, and identifying a snake from color alone can be risky because Australia is home to other species that can look similar. Queensland wildlife officials recommend leaving snakes alone and contacting an authorized snake catcher when one turns up inside a home.

This Snake Hunts Instead of Squeezing Its Prey

Common tree snakes are active daytime hunters. They move through vegetation and across the ground searching primarily for frogs, skinks, and other small vertebrates.

They do not kill those animals by constriction, as the old version of this story suggested. Instead, these fast, slender snakes seize prey directly. Their lightweight build is better suited to climbing and chasing small animals than wrapping powerful coils around them.

A Rare Color Makes an Already Strange Encounter Even Better

A common tree snake showing up around a Queensland home would not be especially unusual by itself. Finding one hiding in a bedroom drawer is another matter. Finding one in this brilliant blue form turns the encounter into something most people would probably remember for a very long time.