Florida Family's Unexpected House Guest: A Snake in the Attic for Over Two Years

When Adam Van Der Herchen heard noises coming from the attic of his house, he went to check if any creatures had made it their home. Through a narrow crack, he spotted a snake slithering in the attic and quickly alerted his parents, who called a professional snake catcher.

The catcher came twice but couldn’t capture the snake. However, he informed the family that it was likely a rattlesnake, a venomous type.

Linda Van Der Herchen, Adam's mother, decided she couldn’t tolerate the situation any longer. She posted on Facebook seeking advice on how to get rid of the snake nesting in their attic. Her husband, Bob, even uploaded a series of videos showing the snake moving around in the attic.

Facebook friends recommended Bob and Linda contact a snake catcher named Mark Lampert. Lampert came, conducted a two-hour search of the attic, and finally found and captured the snake. It turned out not to be a venomous snake but a boa constrictor, which kills its prey by constriction. How did it end up in the Van Der Herchen's attic? Most likely it climbed up from nearby tree branches to the attic entrance.

But that’s not the end of the story. Lampert found not only the snake in the attic but also a snake skin. Snakes shed their skin every few months, just like people change clothes. From the condition of the shed skin, Lampert concluded that the snake had been living in the attic for at least two years.

The lesson? Thoroughly check your attics, if you have them. You might discover you have housemates you never knew about...