A Townsville snake catcher who revived the regurgitated body of a green tree frog says the creature will be ready for release soon.
Jamie Chapel told ABC Radio Brisbane he was called to a property to remove a common tree snake earlier this month when he found the frog, nicknamed Lucky, in a bad way.
It was 20 centimetres down the snake's gullet, but the reptile regurgitated its prey as Mr Chapel approached.
"He looked like a squashed frog full of mucous," Mr Chapel said.
"As I've gone to remove the frog, its leg twitched."
Determined to save Lucky's life, Mr Chapel flipped the amphibian on its back and administered CPR to its limp body with his index finger.
"I started to give it chest compressions to get some air in it — then it kicked.
"I couldn't believe it myself to be honest, it just came back to life."
The next 24 hours were touch and go for Lucky.
The frog needed pain medication and antibiotic cream to treat deep cuts on its back.
"At the moment he's eating wood cockroaches and crickets, and the other night I gave him a treat of a little pinkie mouse after I finished feeding the baby pythons," Mr Chapel said.
"He loves it."
It's not the first time Mr Chapel has tried chest compressions to revive an animal.
He used the same technique in an attempt to save a blue-tongue lizard three months earlier.
Mr Chapel said he would release Lucky as soon as his injuries healed.
"If he's potentially snake food in the future, that's something I may not be able to help him with again but he's definitely going to have another chance out there."
