A sss-snaky affair

Just came home from a day out with my daughter. My mother in law was cleaning the kitchen with her call in maid when she asked the maid to mop the floor. The maid went outside to get the pail and came rushing into the house, her voice raised in fear.
I was wondering what the commotion was and thought at first that my dear MIL was at it again with the maid when only what she was saying made sense. She was telling us about hearing a strange sound in the garden as she went to get the pail and thought it was rats until she saw the long mud brown body along the fence and my MIL's plant.
Without much ado, my hubby had gathered the neighbours and they prod the snake from it's resting place.
Being a busy body, yours truly went to check, and heard one of our neighbours said it was just a small snake. Being bold, yours truly went to see but was startled and scared into retreating into the house when a big enough snake slittered into view. OMG. If that was a small one I won't want to ever come across the huge adult one. Anyway, unfortunately, the snake got away and so I guess we all have to keep our eyes out for it, now that we know it's around somewhere...