A Virginia pool owner thought they were dealing with a dead snake until the animal started climbing out of a skimmer net.
Here's what to know
In a post in r/WhatsThisSnake, the original poster said, "Thought he was dead, I scooped him out in the net. He was floating, but now I discover he is climbing out of my net, but extremely slowly what can I do to help him?"
One Reddit user said, "Mole Kingsnake, Lampropeltis rhombomaculata, !harmless."
The Redditor added, "It's probably just exhausted. I'd move it to a spot not far from the pool near some shade/shelter and maybe put a shallow dish of water by it."
Another person also said mole kingsnakes are non-venomous and that they eat "mainly rodents, lizards, and other snakes."
In a follow-up comment, the OP said, "I'm not sure how to put solved on here, but the little guy crawled away pretty rapidly, and went into a leaf pile. I think he was just exhausted."
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It can also be somewhat difficult to prevent events like this from happening.
One person shared, "Snakes and other creatures often fall victim to the aquatic pitfall traps that are pools, hot tubs and human constructed ponds."
What can be done?
"Don't release him/her further than 1/4 mile away (or 1/2 a mile at most)," another person advised. "It's best to release snakes as close as possible/practical to where they were found as snakes released too far from their homes often don't survive."
Reddit users also mentioned pool escape devices like the Frog Log and Critter Skimmer, which can help animals get out on their own.
Where can I learn more?
People are trying to navigate snake sightings all across the country.
• Across the Mid-South, snake calls surged 50 percent as tiny home openings let them inside.
• In Arkansas, experts said snakes taking over a vacant home were surprisingly harmless.
• In a homeowner's yard, a landscaper watched a massive snake vanish straight into the house.
If you're ever in a similar situation, assess what's happening, and don't hesitate to call an expert or two in.
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