To find out more about the author, editor or agency that supplied this story – please click below.
Story By: Joseph Golder, Sub-Editor: Joe Golder, Agency: Newsflash

A three-year-old boy found a boa constrictor that was hiding among his toys in Brazil.

The incident took place in the town of Alta Floresta, in the central Brazilian state of Mato Grosso.

The toys were on the front porch of the house, where the boy often plays.

The boy’s parents called the fire brigade at about 11:30 AM on Monday morning.

Firefighters arriving at the scene found the snake coiled up among the young boy’s toys.

The snake, which measured 1.15 metre (3.77 feet) long, was removed and no one was injured.

Locals told the firefighters that it was the young boy, who has not been named, who had seen the snake on the porch hidden among his toys.

He told his parents and they raised the alarm.

The snake was subsequently released back into the wild, far away from humans.

Although this one was quite small and probably a juvenile snake, boa constrictors are among the biggest snakes in Brazil, second only to anacondas. They can reach lengths of 3.96 metres (13 feet) when fully grown.

Boa constrictors tend to ambush their prey, first grabbing hold of it with their teeth before wrapping themselves around it and constricting it until its victim suffocates and dies.