A routine wildlife removal call in Texas turned into a dangerous extraction when experts found an entire den of rattlesnakes in a crawl space beneath a home in Aledo.
What happened?
The homeowners in Aledo initially reached out for assistance with what seemed like a typical animal-removal issue but ended up shocking a snake wrangler with over a decade of experience.
Sheila Taber, a snake wrangler, said the job seemed minor at first but proved to be much larger. "That was a whole den. They just kept coming out," Taber said.
According to NBC DFW, Dallas Fort Worth Wildlife Control ultimately pulled over 20 rattlesnakes from under the residence.
Randall Kennedy, the company's owner, said the final count was roughly two dozen snakes. He added that calls like this are common in that area, saying: "In Aledo, three times a day. It's that bad. Aledo is absolutely infested with rattlesnakes."
He also noted that many residents do not realize rattlesnakes can be found across the Dallas-Fort Worth region.
TCD Picks » Quince Spotlight
💡These best-sellers from Quince deliver affordable, sustainable luxury for all
In this instance, the conditions under the home seem to have made the space especially attractive to the snakes. Compared with the extreme heat outside, the crawl space was cooler and also offered a ready food source.
Kennedy described the setup, saying: "They had rats under there. They had rabbits under there. You know, everything they needed was there."
Why does it matter?
While rattlesnakes serve an ecological purpose by keeping rodent numbers down, finding a den of venomous snakes beneath a home creates an immediate safety issue, particularly where children or pets are present.
Rather than simply "invading," the snakes appear to have been using a human-made space that provided the same basics many wild animals seek: cover, food, and cooler temperatures to beat the summer heat.
As Kennedy said, "If it feels good to us, it feels good to the snakes, too."
Features such as crawl spaces, air-conditioning runoff, and rodent presence can create small habitats that allow wildlife to live very near people. As temperatures continue to rise due to human activities, wildlife interactions can follow suit, which is dangerous all around.
That kind of human-animal overlap reflects a wider pattern examined by BBC Future. "As human-wildlife conflicts increase due to sprawling human populations and resource shortages caused by climate change, such outcomes may become all too common and ultimately hinder conservation efforts long term," it reported.
What can I do?
NBC DFW said the snakes taken from the Aledo home will be relocated far from the neighborhood.
If a snake appears on your property, NBC DFW reported that the first step is to photograph it from a safe distance if possible and send it to Dallas Fort Worth Wildlife Control for a free identification so homeowners can learn whether the snake is venomous.
Homeowners can also make their property less appealing to snakes by removing the things that attract them most, such shade, safety, and food.
Get TCD's free newsletters for easy tips, smart advice, and a chance to earn $5,000 toward home upgrades. To see more stories like this one, change your Google preferences here.
