Rescuer carefully frees yellow-bellied racer from glue trap, warns they are 'the bane of my existence'

A TikTok video from a wildlife rescuer is spotlighting the harm glue traps can cause after a yellow-bellied racer snake was found stuck to one of the sticky pest-control devices.

The close-up rescue makes clear how slow and delicate it can be to free an animal that was never supposed to be caught.

What happened?

A recent TikTok post by creator PastureGold (@pasturegold) shows a live yellow-bellied racer being worked loose from a glue trap bit by bit. Shared on June 8, the post has drawn hundreds of likes and over 20,000 views. 

@pasturegold 14 minutes of work in 40 seconds. Getting this Yellow Bellied Racer off of a glue trap. 🐍 Song was fitting considering he was so angry!! And had every right to be! Just when I thought we were becoming friends he made it clear that he had different plans and sent me away with a quick snap 🤣 In all seriousness, these glue traps are the bane of my existence. I get connected with property owners who are seeking out help to get these animals un stuck. I try my best to educate and convince them to stop using them. You'd be surprised how many calls I will get to a single address over a season. There are many less cruel ways to keep pests and rodents away from your home. Many snakes aren't as lucky as this one and I choose to only post the ones with a happy ending. ☀️ #snake #rescue ♬ original sound - pasturegold

The creator described the rescue in the caption, writing, "14 minutes of work in 40 seconds. Getting this Yellow Bellied Racer off of a glue trap." The rescuer also wrote, "these glue traps are the bane of my existence. I get connected with property owners who are seeking out help to get these animals un stuck. I try my best to educate and convince them to stop using them." 

One commenter wrote, "Thank you! I hate those glue traps."

Why does it matter?

Glue traps do not distinguish between the animals people are trying to catch and those that simply wander into the wrong place. That can put harmless wildlife at risk around homes, sheds, garages, and outbuildings. Plus, snakes play an important role in controlling rodent populations, and do a much better job of it than a few glue traps. 

For animals such as snakes, getting stuck can quickly become a life-or-death situation. The longer they struggle, the greater the risk of injury, stress, and exhaustion. In this case, the yellow-bellied racer made it out alive, but the rescuer noted that "Many snakes aren't as lucky as this one, and I choose to only post the ones with a happy ending."

When they are accidentally killed by indiscriminate traps, homeowners can end up harming a useful part of the local ecosystem.

What can I do?

The creator's message is to avoid glue traps when possible. As the post says, "There are many less cruel ways to keep pests and rodents away from your home." For homeowners, that can mean focusing on prevention first — sealing entry points, storing food securely, reducing clutter, and removing the conditions that attract rodents in the first place. Those steps can help keep pests out without putting non-target animals at risk. 

If you do find a wild animal caught in a trap, the video is also a reminder to proceed carefully and consider contacting a local wildlife rehabilitator, animal rescuer, or snake relocation specialist rather than trying to handle the situation alone. A frightened animal can injure itself further if the rescue is rushed, and even this professional animal handler was bitten by the snake at the end of the video. 

"Just when I thought we were becoming friends he made it clear that he had different plans and sent me away with a quick snap," they added.

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