A rattle in Amanda Friedrick’s yard had her and her husband concerned they may have a loose pipe. When they investigated, they discovered something much more terrifying — a mother rattlesnake and 18 babies in and around their children’s playhouse.
“It was really scary,” Friedrick said. “Our kids had just played there and it’s right by our door.”
The family immediately called Ridgecrest Animal Control about their situation. It wasn’t long after that RPD Animal Control Officer Shawna Villa-Rodriguez showed up to capture the 19 sidewinder rattlers.
"It's like a real-life horror movie"A Ridgecrest mom thought a water leak caused the buzzing noise near her children's play area.Then 18 rattlesnakes fell out of their playhouse.
Posted by Hanna Battah on Thursday, August 24, 2017
Villa-Rodriguez only saw the mother at first. Right before she attempted to grab it, she noticed a baby.
“That’s when I noticed one small baby in the play gym and I know they just don’t have one,” Villa-Rodriguez said.
Children’s toys like playhouses provide an ideal location for snakes to crawl inside because they are hollowed out and tend to be warm.
“If you are living in the desert, you should make sure to check your child’s toys,” Villa-Rodriguez continued. “Perhaps have solid play gym like the wood ones.”
