An Arizona fire department was required to provide some crucial "assissstance" in the removal of a den of 11 snakes.
A crew from Golders Fire District in Tucson was called in after receiving reports that several snakes had been seen in a bricked area close to a home in the region of Shadow Mountain and Hardy.
Firefighters attended the scene and helped remove and relocate a total of 11 snakes. This number included nine baby rattlesnakes, one adult rattlesnake and one large bullsnake.
Golders Fire District revealed the slithering discoveries in a Facebook post. In one accompanying picture, officers can be seen exploring in and around an area close to a wall where several large plant pots were located.
A second image shows the snakes, now safely contained within a bucket. Though it is difficult to ascertain their exact size, the adult snakes appear noticeably large.
"SsssNAKE CALL: EN-377 ran a public assist-snake removal in the area of Shadow Mountain and Hardy," the pun-heavy caption accompanying the post reads. Despite the light-hearted nature of the post, rattlesnakes are no laughing matter - especially in Arizona.
According to the Arizona Poison and Drug Information Center, the state is home to 17 different types of rattlesnake—and they are all venomous.
Though venom varies in composition or potency from snake to snake, each should still be treated with caution. The Arizona Poison and Drug Information Center said that there are around 8,000 venomous snake bites in the U.S. every year and between 8 to 15 deaths.
Though fatalities are rare, serious symptoms can still develop, so it is essential that bite victims seek medical attention immediately.
The seriousness of the situation was not lost on those commenting on the Golders Fire District's Facebook post.
"Thank you for a significant collection," one user wrote, with another branding the discovery "the stuff of nightmares." A third said: "you do so much for the community" while a fourth warned: "Mom and babies, with all those pots, there still could be more babies."
Another user, meanwhile, was simply appreciative of the fact the snakes were looked after. "Thank you for relocating them. These snakes are important to our environment," they wrote. "I am not a snake lover, but I also know their importance."
This isn't the first major snake discovery to come out of Arizona.
Last year, a homeowner in Arizona found themselves plagued by not one, but four deadly adult Speckled Rattlesnakes over a series of months.
Another homeowner in Cave Creek was stunned after spotting a 4-foot-long Western diamondback "cruising their backyard."
Meanwhile, earlier this month, a woman from Tucson was stunned to discover a snake lurking in their toilet bowl.
Newsweek has contacted Golder Ranch Fire District for comment.
Uncommon Knowledge
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Newsweek is committed to challenging conventional wisdom and finding connections in the search for common ground.
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