A North Carolina worker got a startling surprise after finding a small snake in a workplace locker room, but what a coworker thought was a baby rattlesnake turned out to be a simple ratsnake.
Here's what to know
The sighting was shared in a post on Reddit's r/whatsthissnake.
"Found in locker room at work. Coworker says [it's a] baby eastern rattlesnake with no rattle yet. Central NC," the original post read.
Other commenters rejected that guess.
"Co-worker is confidently incorrect," one stated, in a sentiment echoed by others.
"It's a !harmless Central Ratsnake (Pantherophis alleghaniensis)," another observed.
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"The rattlers without rattles still have visible pits, and most have the distinctive eye stripe," a third explained.
More background
The snake identification bot u/SEB-PHYLOBOT provided more information on the species.
It described central ratsnakes as common, harmless snakes whose range spans eastern and central North America, from the Appalachian Mountains to the Mississippi River Embayment.
The automated reply bot also noted that Pantherophis ratsnakes eat a wide variety of prey.
u/SEB-PHYLOBOT said that ratsnakes "do well in urban environments, and are particularly fond of rodents and birds in these habitats."
One user who was not a bot had a relaxed view of ratsnakes.
"Harmless rodent control," they commented.
What can be done?
"Like many other animals with mouths and teeth, many non-venomous snakes bite in self defense," u/SEB-PHYLOBOT replied.
Such bites "aren't often cause for anything other than basic first aid treatment," the bot added.
Where can I learn more?
Mistaking one animal for another can make an encounter feel much more alarming than it is.
The snake in question turned out to be a harmless ratsnake, but the stories below show how other wildlife run-ins have unfolded in homes, neighborhoods, and public spaces.
• A large rattlesnake near a family's home left its residents too frightened to leave.
• In Arizona, officials warned locals after the fifth rattlesnake attack hospitalized a man.
• In India, residents watched a predator in broad daylight disappear before wildlife teams arrived.
• In the Bay Area, officials warned that animal encounters can be pretty scary as wild boars ravaged neighborhoods.
• Across California parks, managers found that very little truly stops invasive wild pigs from destroying habitat.
Each case reminds us that getting an identification right can influence how people respond when an unexpected animal shows up nearby. They also highlight how wildlife can surface almost anywhere, from a locker room to residential streets and local parks.
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