'Bum-biting python': Woman bitten by 5-foot snake hiding in toilet

As a 59-year-old woman sat on her relative's toilet, she felt a shocking pain. A 5-foot carpet python had bitten her bottom. 

Helen Richards of Australia told 10 News First Queensland she felt a "sharp tap on my bottom, along with some pain" on Tuesday afternoon. 

Handler Jasmine Zelený, who removed and relocated the non-venomous python from the Brisbane home, said it's not uncommon for her to find snakes hiding in toilets, but most won't bother people unless they feel threatened.

It is uncommon for snakes to bite people sitting on the toilet, she said. In Richards' case, she hadn't turned the bathroom lights on or checked the toilet before sitting down. She was attacked "mid-stream."

"The snake's preferred exit point was blocked after being spooked by the customer sitting down, and it simply lashed out in fear," according to a statement posted by the snake catcher. 

The woman's snake bites were treated with antiseptic spray and have already healed. But, she's still a little scarred from the experience, saying she will never again use a toilet without looking in the bowl.  

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