In the latest squirm-inducing reptile news, a snake was found hiding out in the electrical outlet of a Charleston, South Carolina home—along with nearly twenty of her babies.
According to WYFF News 4, the snake was discovered a few weeks ago, as were several of her eggs.
David Adams, who works for Alpha Wildlife, assisted in removing the snake from its makeshift home.
"The snake was a rat snake and she had laid her eggs, about 15-20, in the outlet, which was really interesting," Adams said, describing the scene. "When you popped off the cover, there were all these little gems. They looked like porcelain eggs. They were really cool—and they had all hatched."
Rat snakes are not venomous and pose little threat to humans.
Dealing with the snake itself was relatively simple: the two-foot-long creature was safely captured and taken to a new habitat over 25 miles away. Understandably, the homeowners are reportedly relieved that the snake is no longer living in their house.
However, there was still the issue of the hatched baby snakes. According to Adams, the babies dispersed after hatching and capturing them was an ongoing process.
This particular rat snake is not alone in its affinity for human dwellings—there have recently been several accounts of snakes unexpectedly popping up in people's homes. Earlier this week, for example, it was reported that a man in Thailand discovered a python in his toilet after sitting down and feeling something nudge his rear end.
A family in Florida was met with a similar surprise when they discovered that the excess lint in their dryer was due to a blockage caused by a dead snake.
As creepy as it may be, Adams noted in his interview with WYFF that finding a snake in one's home is "more common than you would think."
He also cautions against jumping to conclusions on the issue. "Snakes are very, very timid," he said. "They do not want to be around you at all. As soon as they feel you coming through the vibrations, they are going to try to get away as fast as possible."
He added, "Snakes in general, with the exception of the venomous ones, are good snakes. They are there for a reason. They are good for our environment. They are good for the food chain. They are not bad. They are not going to hurt you."
