Snake finds cozy hiding place in woman’s kitchen, Missouri officials say
The kitchen might be one of the last places you’d want to find a large snake hiding out.
A western ratsnake gave a Missouri woman a surprise when she found it in her Marionville kitchen, the Missouri Department of Conservation said.
When a Department of Conservation official arrived, the snake was gone — or so they thought. It was found hiding behind the woman’s stove, MDC said.
“Agent (Andrew) Barnes found no snake when he arrived, but it was later located inside the stove behind the electrical panel,” the department said on Facebook. “After dismantling the stove, Barnes was able to remove the snake and release it outside.”
Western ratsnakes are one of the state’s largest snakes, according to MDC. They can be anywhere between 3 1/2 feet to 6 feet long, MDC reported.
They typically live in rocky, wooden hillsides or along streams and rivers, according to the Department of Conservation.
“They take shelter in brushpiles, hollow trees, farm buildings, and old houses where mice are plenty,” the department said. “They are excellent climbers and often bask in trees.”
