| 1 | Grandma defeats a snake |
Garlene Eiceman was an 89 year old Tallahassee resident known affectionately as “Grandma bunny”. She had 6 great grandchildren and 6 grandchildren, and gained great joy from watching the squirrels and birds in her garden. In mid-2019, these friendly visitors began to disappear. Her bird box was repeatedly empty and no new birds seemed to be entering.
Eiceman initially blamed the bird feed, but after visiting pet stores, there turned out to be no problem. Eciemen despaired, until she discovered the truth the hard way: she saw a snake slither directly out of the birdbox, where she had been watching 3 nestling blue birds with their parents. The garden had another, less welcome intruder, one which was decimating her feathered friends. The snake’s throat even had a bird-shaped bulge.
Eiceman started crying, but then raced to action. She raced around her garden ripping up every object the snake could take shelter beneath, including the bird houses themselves. The snake was finally exposed, and the grandma killed her enemy using a hammer and a twig. “I was so angry with that snake”, she said. Before long, birds and squirrels were returning to her garden.
| 2 | Hundreds of snakes invade road |
October 2016 was infamous for the global creepy clown phenomenon, but snakes also got their share of the action in Florida. Drivers in Palmer Boulevard, Sarasota County were shocked to witness several hundred dark snakes invading the road, writhing in from nearby grass and water bodies.
Many drivers accelerated, leaving corpses and ultimately dried snake skins on the road several days later. Others had no choice but to run them over. There was little they could do, otherwise the snake invasion would have caused a traffic pileup. The survivors made it to a nearby pond.
“There are literally hundreds of snakes on the road” said an eyewitness, “it’s like something from a horror film”. Rumours spread through the area of the snake invasion, which the sheriff’s office was forced to confirm were actually true. Was it the beginning of the Florida snake revolt, angry at their endless marshland being reduced? They were more likely seeking warmth in the gradually declining October temperatures. Snakes often bask on tarmac, with its sun-absorbing characteristics, but most species (except maybe prairie kingsnakes) aren’t smart enough to comprehend the danger. The invaders were likely banded watersnakes (Nerodia fasciata), a semi-aquatic species found in the entirety of Florida, which reaches a maximum of 157cm.
| 3 | Epidemic of kissing snakes |
When you combine beer, bravado, and swampy forests, you have one of a Florida man’s weirdest tendencies: the overpowering urge to kiss a viper.
Exhibit A took place in May 2017 in Putnam County in the peninsula’s north. Ron Reinold was flown to the emergency room after swooping into a local rattlesnake, going nose to nose, hoping for a kiss. Instead, it bit his tongue. Neighbour Charles Goff said he had found the rattlesnake previous day, and stored it responsibly in a tank. The next morning (Tuesday), local boys were loudly playing with the snake, one of whom shouted “I’m going to kiss it in the mouth”. Luckily, Reinold improved by Wednesday, and was expected to make a full recovery.
Exhibit B involved an unlucky 13th kiss. Austin Hatfield, 18, was apparently a seasoned snake kisser, bragging to his friends about his many conquests. In 2015, he brought a cottonmouth out from inside his pillow and laid it on his chest. He prepared to strike with his lips, but was instead struck by a piercing viper bite. Hatfield ran into the kitchen saying “hospital, hospital, now, now”. Before long, he was in a Tampa hospital bed, in critical condition. He recovered (cottonmouths have their own antivenom), but not before the Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission began an investigation, considering charges over keeping the cottonmouth illegally. Our guess: they decided he had suffered enough.
Statistics show that of the 3500 venomous snakebite victims in the US annually, 70% are men aged to 18 to 25, many having imbibed alcohol. Remember: beer may give you some superpowers, but not venom resistance.
| 4 | Homeless man carries rattlesnake |
This story took place in Jacksonville Beach in 2019, and kicked off when several scared locals rang the police to report a homeless man wandering around with a rattlesnake in his arms. The man had an eastern diamondback rattlesnake measuring 6 to 8 feet (180-240cm), one of 6 venomous species in Florida, and the one responsible for most deaths. The man claimed to be an agent of God, as he had found the snake, and felt a sacred calling to help protect it from traffic.
As police patrol cars pulled up, they asked him to place the rattlesnake in the back of the car. Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission ultimately took possession of the snake and released it into a secluded wooded area.
The milder version was that the man was performing a show and tell service, and was fully informed on how to handle them. There was no mention of the homeless man being bitten, so perhaps he really did have a special connection to snakes. Whether the east diamondback was actually 240cm is sketchy, as the longest of all time was only slightly longer at 251.5cm. The homeless man faced no charges.
| 5 | Swimming pool dangers |
If you’re relaxing by the swimming pool at an Orlando resort on the first day of your family holiday, the snake you’re most likely to encounter is the black racer, a non-venomous species with a thin body. Corn snakes and ring-neck snakes are also contenders, and also harmless. But venomous bites occasionally hit the headlines, such as in July 2011. The victim was Texas resident Wayne Wilburn, and the location the Windsor Hills Resort in Kissimmee, just south of Orlando.
When they arrived on Saturday, the family of 4 hit the pool immediately. They soon encountered a pygmy rattlesnake, which measure just 30-60cm, and produce more of a low buzzing than a full rattle. They’re more common by streams or pools within forests, but swimming pools aren’t out of question.
A battle commenced, which the rattlesnake won. Wilburn tried to kill the snake with a stick, but received a bite to the thumb. He was taken to Florida Hospital Celebration and placed in intensive care. According to his wife: “He has such a huge heart that he was in fear of the children“. Luckily, the hospital had antivenom in stock, and gave Wilburn three vials. He was set to spend 3 nights in intensive care, and was warned not to return to Texas before Friday.
| 6 | Gorilla troop versus snake |
Tourists aren’t safe within Disney’s parks either. A 2021 incident in the Animal Kingdom went viral, acquiring millions of views after being posted on TikTok. It took place in the Gorilla Falls Exploration Trail, by a large, comfortable enclosure containing a full troop of gorillas. The video began with a juvenile gorilla dashing over to a pile of hay. The gorilla has an alarmed expression and begins swiping at the hay with movements strangely similar to a human. “It’s a snake!” cries an audience member, and sure enough, a small black snake crawls out, writhing rapidly.
At a distance, its identify is hard to establish, but it may be a young black racer (non-venomous). The entire gorilla troop then arrives, including the large silverback male daddy, which looks concerned but only mildly. For about a minute, the silverback sits and investigates the hay, while the youngling mischievously swipes hay over the adult. Then the silverback ruffles through the hay, and the writhing snake remerges with 5 gorillas watching on.
In a second video, the large male began to beat its chest, but the adult gorilla showed its experience, as it never looked truly worried. If a rattlesnake broke in, it may have entered full tribal warfare mode. In the background, a Disney Cast member can be heard saying “So just like humans, our gorillas are very curious about what goes on in their habitat“. Tourists got more nature than they expected on this nature tour.
| 7 | Theme park tales |
It’s also possible to meet a snake in Disney World within 60 seconds of closing your car door. Another viral video from 2022 showed a snake wrangler trying to pick up a black snake by the Magic Kingdom entrance. A small circle formed and surprisingly, mass panic didn’t break out. The wrangler seemed to have prior experience, and after seizing the snake with a hook, dropped it into a patch of bush.
A snake was also spotted near the Ratatouille ride in Epcot, and in 2023, the entire Magic Kingdom was closed when a black bear infiltrated the park. How many rides it got on while the entire park was empty wasn’t revealed.
Yet another black racer was spotted by the Magic Kingdom entrance in 2018. This time no employees were present, just murmuring and whispering tourists. The snake looked more confused than murderous. With few patterns, and pure black shades, it could have been a black racer, but it was hard to tell from such a distance.
Official Disney policy is not to kill snakes, but to remove them without any delay, and move them to a more suitable habitat.
| 8 | Gator wars |
Alligators and snakes are the shared reptile rulers of Florida. Both can infiltrate narrow ditches and waddle onto scenic lake shores, both have a presence in gloomy Disney World swamps the CEOs would rather you didn’t explore. Alligators number 1.25 million in Florida, while there’s 46 snake species.
Not surprisingly, the two dislike each other, and a July 2023 video showing a battle went viral. It begins with an alligator floating stealthily forward in a small lake, with only its sharp spinal scales protruding above, like a reptilian submarine. The alligator halts briefly on the lake’s edge. Then it resumes its steady float, waddling up the banks, before suddenly accelerating. The alligator is revealed to be shiny and relatively small, perhaps a recent adult, but there isn’t much time to stare, as the alligator suddenly accelerates like one of the nearby rollercoasters.
The next second, it’s rolling furiously on the bank while a snake is flung in all directions like a black piece of spaghetti. The snake and alligator writhe so furiously that they end up back in the lake, sending ripples across the whole surface.
Suddenly, the alligator calms down. A long snake is visibly hanging from its jaws. It makes a few extra movements as finishing its meal off. Then it resumes the calm appearance the video started with. It’s hard to identify the exact snake species being attacked, though the black racer is a strong candidate, with its thin black body. The alligator both started and won this Florida snake battle.
| 9 | Snake swallows ping-pong ball |
Some snakes are more cautious than others. The black mamba focuses exclusively on small meals, but the Asian oriental ratsnake has accidentally eaten tablecloths, condoms and onions. Our latest Florida snake tale took place in October 2018 in Brevard County, home of Cocoa Beach and the city of Melbourne.
Wild Florida Rescue was summoned to a home in Rockledge, after the owner found a 2 foot snake in their yard with a strange lump in the middle. It wasn’t a mouse shape, it was oddly round and perfect. The snake turned out to be an eastern ratsnake (Pantherophis alleghaniensis), and was rapidly brought to a wildlife hospital in Melbourne and scanned using X-rays.
The snake underwent 20 minute surgery, and to the surgeons’ surprise, they extracted a cream-coloured tabletennis ball. Dr Angela Bockelman was experienced with snakes eating weird things, but “this is the first ping pong ball for me,” she said. The snake survived the operation, and was planned to be released back into the wild.
Eastern ratsnakes are one of Florida’s main egg-eating species, while also eating simpler mammal meals. Ping pong balls are similarly shaped to an egg, so the mistake was understandable. That said, a scarlet snake (also found in Florida) wouldn’t have fallen victim. This egg-eater hacks into shells with an enlarged tooth rather than swallowing them whole, before slurping out the delicious yolk, skipping the shell. Ratsnakes prefer to open wide, swallow, then crack the egg while inside their belly using sharp body contortions.
| 10 | Miami airport security |
Even airports aren’t safe from snakes in Florida. In April 2024, a passenger went through airport security, preparing to board his flight in Miami International Airport. He never did take to the skies, as inspection of his luggage revealed two small snakes inside.
The snakes were rather odd – fleshy pink with a ruby marking atop their head. Twitter/X users declared them to be a palmetto morph corn snake, a very rare captive breed.
The hidden snakes were revealed in a tweet by Transportation Security Administration, who contacted the Miami-Dade Police Department and Customers and Border Protection (CBP) Southeast division. Not surprisingly, the man’s ticket was revoked. Ultimately, the snakes were handed to the Florida Fish and Wildlife Commission.
It’s possible they were the man’s pets, or purpose bred creatures being sold to an overseas customer. Snakes on a plane has become a reality several times, such as in 2023, when a cape cobra broke loose in the pilot’s cabin in a private South African flight to Pretoria.