Shorter, Ala., resident Cameron Bice filmed a large rattlesnake crossing a dirt road near her home in Macon County, and the TikTok video drew thousands of views while reviving a familiar question: What should people do when a large venomous snake shows up close to home?
Here's what to know
The sighting came during a routine chore. According to the Montgomery Advertiser, Bice was taking trash to the garbage cans near her property entrance when she noticed movement by the road and realized it was a large snake.
"I seen a huge snake crossing the road," Bice said in an email. "It looked to be at least 3 to 4 feet long and as big around or bigger than a can of spray paint."
Only after unloading the garbage and sitting back down in her vehicle did she fully notice what was crossing the road, she said.
"The whole time I have K-LOVE blasting," she said. "When I sat back down in my car and went to close the door, I seen a huge snake crossing the road."
Alabama has three native rattlesnake species — eastern diamondback, timber rattlesnake, and pygmy rattlesnake. Of the three, the eastern diamondback is the largest. Outdoor Alabama said adults often reach four to five feet, and unusually large snakes can get close to seven feet.
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More background
It happened on a road, one of the places where humans and snakes are most likely to cross paths. Roads and trails tend to hold warmth and offer easier routes through dense cover, which can make snakes more visible. Even when snakes aren't seeking people out, those human-made spaces can increase the odds of an encounter.
Rattlesnakes usually steer clear of people, and the rattle is meant to create distance. They also play an important ecological role by helping keep rodent populations in check.
Outdoor Alabama lists the eastern diamondback as uncommon to rare in the state and says it no longer appears in some places where it used to be more common.
What can be done?
The safest move is to back away and let the rattlesnake leave on its own. Bites most often happen when someone tries to pick it up, kill it, or otherwise engage with it.
Bice stayed in her vehicle and documented the moment from a distance, even if the shock made it hard to film.
"I tried my best to record, but I was shaking so bad," she said.
During summer, warm weather often means more rattlesnake movement as they look for food, shelter, and mates.
"It didn't try to bother me, but I also tried to stay far enough away so it couldn't," Bice said. "My initial reaction was scared and surprised. I could not believe how massive that thing was."
Where can I learn more?
Like the Alabama sighting, these encounters show what can happen when rattlesnakes turn up close to people. Here are articles about hikers, homeowners, and park visitors who ran into rattlesnakes in Florida, New York, Texas, and Colorado.
• In Florida, hikers froze when a big one appeared during their first rattlesnake encounter.
• In New York, a family found a large rattlesnake blocking the way out of their home.
• At Palo Duro Canyon in Texas, a hiker watched a rattler swallowing a collared lizard.
• In Colorado's Garden of the Gods, two prairie rattlesnakes were filmed battling for breeding rights.
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