Jealous snakes give Brisbane family a fright

A Brisbane family had a terrifying brush with Mother Nature recently after two male snakes battled it out on the rooftop of their home attempting to win the attention and affection of a female snake.

The video shows the carpet pythons thrashing around before falling off the roof, prompting screams by the frightened home owners.

According to Brisbane snake handler service Catch It, who uploaded the video to YouTube in mid-December, such fights are often mistaken with mating, despite courtship between male and female snakes being "generally a gentle and restrained activity".

Despite their aggressive nature when it comes to pursuing a mate, the family need not have worried.

Carpet pythons are non-venomous and "totally harmless" to humans, according to Australia Zoo.