Worse Than a Nightmare: Arizona Couple Finds Rattlesnake Under their Bed

A couple in Valley, Arizona had the fright of their lives when they discovered a rattlesnake under their bed! This is the stuff of nightmares for many people and it is important to know how to behave correctly in this situation. Rattlesnakes are members of the pit viper group of snakes and use their powerful venom to subdue their prey.

The venom attacks the internal tissues of the body and can be deadly to humans. There is a wide range of sizes of rattlesnakes with the largest being over eight feet in length. They can survive on only one meal every three weeks and spend a lot of their time just hanging around and chilling.

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These snakes would prefer to avoid human contact and do not go hunting for humans to attack so most human rattlesnake encounters are accidental. They will also use their loud rattle to let you know that they are there. The particular snake in this footage is a Western Diamondback Rattlesnake that is found across Central and North America.

They can be identified from the diamond-shaped markings on a gray or pink background color. The darker diamonds appear as blotches higher up the back. These snakes also have large, spade-shaped heads and eyes with elliptical pupils and raised scales that make them look as if they are angry. The venom of this particular snake is not the most toxic but they tend to inject it in large amounts so it is potentially very dangerous to humans and can affect the heart, blood circulation, and muscles.

Whilst these guys are not overtly aggressive, they will not like being disturbed in their hideaway and will stand their ground. They are more likely to bite than other types of rattlesnakes.

As well as pictures of the snake curled up under the bed next to a flip-flop shoe, the footage also features an interview with a local rattlesnake expert. We learn that this particular snake was a pregnant female and that she had viewed the air-conditioned house as a cool cave to chill out in the hot weather. The expert had been called in to remove the snake and he advised that when you see a snake in that sort of situation it is important to remember that the snake has not invaded your home on purpose. It doesn’t actually want to be near humans.

The rattle is also not a sign of attack. It is a message to you to back off. During October, snakes are trying to eat a lot, mate, and travel to where they will spend the winter. That’s why there are a lot of snake sightings at that time of year. However, a sighting under your own bed has got to be one of the most challenging to cope with!

The photo featured at the top of this post is © Audrey Snider-Bell/Shutterstock.com