Missouri Woman Finds A Huge Snake in Kitchen Curled Up Inside Her Stove

  • The local Missouri conservation agent had to dismantle the stove to rescue the large snake

  • The Western Ratsnake can grow to a length of six feet, they are but a nonvenomous species

  • According to MDC, Western Ratsnake are active April through November

A Missouri woman recently discovered a large snake inside her kitchen and her to call in the help from the Missouri Department of Conservation only to find a huge snake curled up inside her stove.

A Marionville resident, whose identity has been released approached the Missouri Department of Conservation after she found a large snake lurking in her kitchen.

Missouri snake
MDC

According to a statement from the Department of Conservation, the Marionville woman requested the help of Conservation Agent Andrew Barnes who after reaching her house could not find the snake. Barnes later found that the snake could be hiding inside the stove.

He then proceeded to dismantle the stove, only to discover that the huge snake cozily curled up inside the stove was a western ratsnake, which is a nonvenomous species in her kitchen.

"A Marionville resident recently requested the help of Conservation Agent Andrew Barnes after finding a western ratsnake in her kitchen. Agent Barnes found no snake when he arrived, but it was later located inside the stove behind the electrical panel. After dismantling the stove, Barnes was able to remove the snake and release it outside. This nonvenomous species is active April through November and is a great hunter of rodents," Missouri Department of Conservation said in a Facebook post.

The Missouri Department of Conservation on its official website states that the Western Ratsnake is one of the largest and most familiar snakes in the state. It is generally shiny black, but some can have dark brown blotches. The MDC website also states that these snakes can grow to a length of anywhere from 3.5 to 6 feet but they are nonvenomous.

What Should You Do If You Find A Snake in Your Kitchen?

There are several reasons why snakes actually love the kitchen. One is that it provides easy access to food and shelter. Snakes often enter kitchen hunting mice and rats. Some snake are drawn to the smell of raw or cooked meat, blood, milk products, and eggs, as well.

The cool and damp spaces such as leaky pipes are their favorite places in summer, while in winter snakes slither behind refrigerators, stoves or ovens.

Whiles bites from non-venomous snakes will not kill you, it will surely hurt for days. Hence it is always advisable whether the snake is venomous or nonvenomous, they should ask for help from local conservation experts or even pest control.

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