Most people are horrified to enter their garage and find that it's become a disorganized mess over time as they accumulate storage boxes, tools, and other items. But in some worst-case scenarios, garages can also be the destination of some unexpected animal intruders, such as snakes. Because of their nature, snakes tend to get pretty inventive with where they choose to hide out—which can make finding one all the more surprising. The most recent example involves a homeowner who found a three-foot rattlesnake in his garage in a particularly unlikely place.
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Last week, animal control technicians were called to a home in Phoenix, Arizona, to remove a reptile that had made its way indoors. But when they arrived, they discovered that the intruding rattlesnake had worked its way up into the spokes of one of the homeowner's bicycles that was stored in the garage, The Sacramento Bee reports.
"It's the first time I've found a snake entangled in a bike like that!" Bryce Anderson, a snake wrangler with Rattlesnake Solutions, told the newspaper. "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."
Unfortunately, the unique hiding spot also made it more difficult to remove the animal safely.
"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," he continued, adding that the snake was then released in a safe area "away from homes and bicycles, much to [the snake's] dismay."
Despite the problematic removal, the company used the atypical situation to help raise awareness and generate some laughs on social media.
"This diamondback had ambitions of competing with the pros in a cycling competition, though I had to inform him without legs he would have a tough time reaching the pedals," Rattlesnake Solutions wrote in a Jan. 20 Facebook post, complete with pictures of the trespassing reptile. "He disagreed, and was adamant he'd have a shot in the big leagues."
Commenters joined in on the fun, with one pointing out, "That rattler will discourage bicycle thieves, however."
"Poor fella! I can hear him singing now: 'I want to ride my bicycle…' (Queen, of course!)," another mused.
This isn't the only recent occurrence of a rattlesnakes working themself into a unexpected place. Earlier this month, a homeowner undertaking a renovation project in Tonopah, Arizona, found four rattlesnakes hiding in the ceiling and behind a shower wall, The Sacramento Bee reported. Contractors working the site only noticed the reptiles after one person stuck their hand into the ceiling looking for a gas line and heard a rattling noise.
