Large rattlesnake gets itself in odd predicament while prowling Arizona garage
A rattlesnake somehow got itself tangled in the spokes of a bicycle, and photos of the predicament are equal parts laughable and creepy.
It happened in the garage of a home in north Phoenix, Arizona, and the bike was parked at the time, according to snake wrangler Bryce Anderson of Rattlesnake Solutions.
The adventurous western diamondback got more than it bargained for.
“I was called out for a rattlesnake that the homeowners had seen in their garage after arriving home for the day. ... I found our culprit coiled up in the spokes, seemingly pretty comfortable,” Anderson told McClatchy News.
“It’s the first time I’ve found a snake entangled in a bike like that! While a little surprising and definitely something I got a good laugh out of, it’s not entirely unusual for rattlesnakes in the wild to climb when given the opportunity.”
The snake was nearly 3 feet long, and photos shared Jan. 20 on Facebook show it giving Anderson a defiant stare through the spokes.
Hundreds of people have commented on the post, including several who noted it was the best anti-theft device ever seen on a bike.
“This is the stuff of my nightmares! I might just throw out my bike,” one commenter wrote on Facebook.
“Maybe he was trying to reach the pedals!” another posted.
Most wanted to know how Anderson removed the snake without being bitten. He said it wasn’t easy, but didn’t provide specifics.
“Upon attempting to apprehend our suspect, he became noticeably defensive, and gave me a little bit of trouble,” Anderson said. “But within a few minutes I had him safe and secured in a bucket.”
The snake was released in a wilderness area “away from homes and bicycles, much to his dismay,” Rattlesnake Solutions reports.
Western diamondbacks are native to Arizona and average 3 to 5 feet in length, the Arizona-Sonora Desert Museum reports. However, some up to 7 feet in length have been found.
This story was originally published January 29, 2024 at 7:22 AM with the headline "Large rattlesnake gets itself in odd predicament while prowling Arizona garage."