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A woman in Arkansas has been left "shocked and disturbed" after she found a 3-foot snake trapped inside her door latch on Saturday afternoon.
The woman had gone to lock her back door when she found that something was blocking the mechanism.
"The door was still latching and since we do not always lock the deadbolt we were not sure how long it had been there or if it was alive in there and just not able to get back out," her sister, Cassie Catchot, told Newsweek.
Catchot shared photos of the incident on the Facebook page Snake Identification: Discussion and Resources.
"We carefully took apart the door to expose the inside of the door in hopes of freeing the snake without injury," she said. "The snake was unfortunately not alive and looked worn down."
Rat snakes are a non-venomous group of snakes that can be found throughout North America. The most common species in Arkansas is the black rat snake, a shiny black species that can be found throughout forests and woodlands.
"We don't see them often but are aware they are common in our area," Catchot said. "Rat snakes are such an important species, especially at my house because we live in a large field and frequently have field mice issues."
Judging by its size, the snake in the door latch was still a juvenile, as adult rat snakes typically reach lengths of up to 5 feet long, according to the University of Georgia's Herpetology Program.
It is still unclear how the snake got into the latch, although it is likely to have slithered into the small space following prey. "Holy cow. Maybe he went in after a mouse?" said one Facebook user.
According to other users, it is not uncommon to find this species in sticky situations like this. In fact, there is a whole group on Facebook, called Ratsnakes in Predicament, dedicated to just that. "If you have to ask yourself.. how did he get in there??!! It's usually a black rat snake," said one user.
If you see a snake, it is important to stay calm. Most snakes in the U.S. are not venomous and play and important role in their surrounding ecosystem. "They are usually much more scared of you than you are of them," Catchot said. "The importance of having them in the environment outweighs the fear.
Even venomous snakes will only strike out if they feel threatened. Therefore, it is important to call in a professional if you are unsure of the identity of a snake on your property rather than trying to remove it yourself.
About the writer
Pandora Dewan is a Senior Science Reporter at Newsweek based in London, UK. Her focus is reporting on science, health ... Read more