March 1, 2008

QUEENSLAND, Aus. – The Peric family is still in shock over the death of a pet dog, which was eaten by a large scrub python that slithered into their home.

According to Stuart Douglas of the Australian Venom Zoo, that particular species of python normally eat wallabies, but the urban setting of the Peric’s neighborhood offered only the family’s dog.

Stuart said he believes the snake is responsible for the deaths of the family’s cat and guinea pig as well. The corpse of the family cat was found some two weeks earlier and appeared to have been swallowed then spit up by a snake. The guinea pig was never found.

After walking in on the snake as it devoured the dog, the Perics called authorities. Douglas, a trained snake handler, arrived at the Perics’ home too late. All that could be seen were the dog’s hind legs, sticking out of the snake’s mouth. The rest of the dog’s small body was already down the snake’s throat.

Experts say that had the dog been pulled from the snake's mouth, its claws could have killed the python.

Family members say they saw the snake inside their home a few days earlier but it slithered away before it could be caught. They spotted the serpent near the dog’s bed, a fact Stuart says means the snake was stalking its prey.

Daniel Peric said he is now terrified for his young children. Although the snake has been caught, he fears another could slither in through duct work

Scrub pythons, which can grow to more than 20 feet in length, normally live in wooded areas of northern Australia. The snake responsible for the Peric dog’s death has been taken to the Australian Venom Zoo until it digests the small canine. Once that happens, it will be released back into the wild in a national park.

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