A SIX-metre snake and its 3m mate have turned the roof of a north Queensland residence into their own home.

The giant but harmless Amethystine, or scrub, python – was discovered in James Kinniburgh's roof at his Holloways Beach house, near Cairns, a fortnight ago.

Mr Kinniburgh made the startling find when the non-poisonous constrictor emerged from a hole in his tin roof.

A closer inspection of the roof revealed a second python, 3m in length and believed to be the mate, had also taken residence in the roof.

Mr Kinniburgh said he was told by wildlife officers there was little they could do to remove the snakes due to the small ceiling space and no manhole in the roof.

"That night I heard it on the roof, then on the back verandah, then I saw it trying to poke its head through a hole in the flyscreen," Mr Kinniburgh told the Cairns Post.

"I sat there s***ting myself.

"I'm from Sydney, I've only been here three years and I've never seen anything like this before.

"I wouldn't mind if it was half the size."

Mr Kinniburgh said he was concerned the larger snake, believed to weigh around 100kg, could fall through the ceiling.

Scrub pythons, Australia's longest snake and one of the world's longest, can grow up to 8.5m.

But there is no record of Amethystine pythons (so-named because of their colour and shine in direct sunlight) being dangerous to humans. They will do everything possible to avoid human contact.

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