In a recent sighting of a viper across the United States, a teenager washing clothes found a copper-headed snake waiting in her washing machine.
According to a report by the Springfield News LeaderJessica Bruner, a resident of Green County, Missouri, claimed that her 15-year-old daughter found the snake when she moved wet clothes into the dryer last Friday.
“When she pulled out a pair of shorts, the copperhead came out of it,” Bruner told news leaders on Monday. “It’s sitting on the clothes, trying to attack.”
Weekly newspaper Talked to Jake Whitehead of TRL Reptiles, who kept different rat snakes, corn snakes and king snakes with his sons and was asked to remove the snake. Whitehead confirmed that a “baby” 18-inch bronze snake was found in Brunner’s washing machine last week.
“Weird to say [Bruner] It was an old neighbor of ours and she didn’t know that she was contacting us,” Whitehead recalled. “We provide a free service to remove annoying reptiles or any animals.
Whitehead also told Weekly newspaper Although copper-headed snakes are not uncommon in Green County, it is not clear how the snake got into the washing machine.
“We live in a beautiful rural area, so they are very common,” he said. “Like most snakes, they are usually very reclusive animals. But when sharing an area with anything, you will definitely encounter them from time to time.
“How it got into the washing machine is still unknown,” Whitehead added. “We assume it goes into the basket and then into the washing machine.”
Whitehead also told Weekly newspaper Fortunately, when he arrived, he showed no signs of aggression. “It’s not aggressive to me. It doesn’t have any kind of fighting,” he said.
“I took it back closer to our house and put it away. There was no sign in the house,” he added.
Courtesy of Jack Whitehead
In a statement to the Springfield news leader, Bruner joked that although no one was injured in the incident, her teenage daughter took extra precautions around the washing machine.
“[She’s] Is not [doing] Laundry, that’s for sure,” she told the media. “She will definitely look for these things before she reaches out to the place. We are really lucky that she was not bitten.She took her hand away from there quickly enough before it [struck] Because it’s crazy. “
Whitehead pointed out that he is no stranger to the various local snakes in the area. “We operate a custom sawmill/log house business [Whitehead Mountain log homes]. With this, we have created a good environment for all local snakes,” he explained Weekly newspaper“There are logs, bark and sawdust everywhere. They have many opportunities to hide, find food and hibernate.”
A recent report from California Polytechnic State University Claims that populations of species such as rattlesnakes could surge In the climate change crisis.
The researchers wrote: “Specifically, snakes will be able to overwinter earlier this year and then wait a few months before hiding again.”
Whitehead tells Weekly newspaper Residents of Greene County should be vigilant when encountering unrecognized snakes, especially to prepare for future heat waves this summer.
“We have just had the coldest winter in a long time. So far [it’s] This is a very mild spring/summer,” he said. “There are heat waves at this time of the year, [it’s] July. [Snakes] They are cold-blooded animals, so this is the time for them to thrive and reproduce. Every animal that reaches the reproductive age will reproduce once a year, but regardless of the weather, they only reproduce once a year.
“In our area, when talking about venomous snakes, the main focus is on copper-headed snakes. We do have rattlesnakes and cottonmouths, but they are not very common,” Whitehead said Weekly newspaper“My suggestion is that if you have any questions about what kind of snake it is, [it’s] It’s better to leave it alone. Bronze-headed snake bites are rarely fatal, but they are a painful experience. “
In fact, a teenage reptile enthusiast in Pennsylvania can prove Pain caused by a copper-headed snake bite. According to reports, Audrey Weir was attacked while watching the sunset with her friends in late June.
“It feels like my hand is broken,” she said at the time. “My body has never been fractured. That’s why I compare the pain with the fire pain in my hand.”
In Georgia, a freshly graduated kindergarten graduate was also attacked by a rattlesnake. According to reports, its venom caused anaphylactic shockThe five-year-old “fought for her life” and received more than 40 rounds of anti-venom.
