Living in Florida comes with the likelihood of running into all sorts of wildlife, from manatees to alligators to dolphins. Then, of course, there are plenty of snakes, ranging from the harmless rat snake to the fearsome eastern diamondback.
Spotting any of these critters during a day outdoors is to be expected. Finding a wriggling reptile inside your home, however, is uncommon. But that’s exactly what happened to a homeowner in Pinellas County, who discovered a rather large rat snake had somehow found its way inside.
The incident occurred on May 30, when the Pinellas County Sheriff’s Office responded to a report of a snake in a nearby resident’s home.
Arriving at the home, officers discovered the reptile in question was a nonvenomous eastern rat snake. Though a “docile” individual, it was an understandably intimidating sight, as the snake stretched around 5 feet in length.
“A citizen got quite the surprise when they found this ‘nope rope’ in their home,” the sheriff’s office wrote in a Facebook post documenting the unusual rescue. “Thankfully, it was just an eastern rat snake and not dangerous but an unexpected visitor nonetheless.”
The average rat snake reaches 3 to 5 feet in length, and this individual appeared to be at the very top of this spectrum. That said, the largest ever recorded was over 8 feet long! It was at least a slightly less startling size than that king-sized specimen.
How did the rat snake get inside the Florida home?
So, we all know how most pests get inside your home. You leave the door open just a few seconds too long and suddenly you’re finding mosquitos, spiders, and stink bugs everywhere (that last one comes from personal experience).
A 5-foot rat snake, however, is quite a bit larger than a stink bug. How does such a large animal find its way inside unnoticed?
Well, it could be a similar situation to the Florida man who found a hissing iguana in his toilet. He left his patio door open with the intention of helping his dog and unintentionally sent out an invitation to his resident backyard reptile in doing so.
Alternatively, there might have been a crack or small hole through which the rat snake slithered in search of prey or a comfortable spot to rest out of the hot sun. Snakes can also flatten themselves to fit under doors. All it takes is a small gap beneath an exterior door for a snake to squeeze its way in.
Regardless of how the rat snake got in, it did so purely by accident. Snakes don’t enter buildings and homes with the intention of terrorizing the humans inside.
Instead, they’re lured in by the soothing A/C or small animals like rats, mice, and insects. Once inside, they simply can’t find their way out again.
Thankfully, this homeowner didn’t take drastic action against the harmless rat snake, choosing instead to reach out for help. The snake was relocated to a wooded area and both the homeowner and the reptile went on with their days!
