Recently, a Phoenix resident got an unwelcome surprise when they found a huge western diamondback rattlesnake in their home.
The rattlesnake was discovered under the resident’s bed in their North Phoenix, AZ apartment. Afterward, the residents called Rattlesnake Solutions – a snake removal company – to remove the venomous reptile from the premises.
“Most of the time that we respond to a ‘rattlesnake in the house!’ call, it ends up being a Nightsnake. Not this time …,” the snake removal company’s Facebook post read.
The Facebook post shared a photo of the large snake curled up underneath the resident’s bed.
How the Rattlesnake Entered the Resident’s Home
According to the National Park Service, Western diamond rattlesnakes account for more human bites than any other rattlesnake in the American southwest.
In a blog post, Rattlesnake Solutions explained that the snake was quickly and safely removed from the apartment. In addition, they shared information on how the snake likely made its way into the apartment.
“It turns out that the resident left the home for less than 5 minutes, leaving the door slightly ajar,” the company reported. “That’s all the time it takes for a wandering rattlesnake to find the cool, air-conditioned ‘cave’, and slip inside.”
However, the snake removal company said that incidents like this rarely occur. The company has dealt with more than 10,000 individual snake encounters through the years. Less than 100 have dealt with rattlesnakes inside the home.
“If you remove homes that were previously abandoned, missing entire walls, or in a condition where they should be condemned, you end up with fewer than 40,” the company said.
“The best way to keep rattlesnakes out of your home is to keep doors closed and eliminate access, down to a 1/4″ space,” the company added in their post.
[H/T FOX News]
