A stock image of a western diamondback rattlesnake.Photo:Getty
Getty
A homeowner in Arizona originally thought he had three rattlesnakes in his garage, but soon learned there were nearly seven times as many.
Snake wrangler Marissa Maki recently helped the homeowner gather 20 western diamondback rattlesnakes that were hiding in the garage attached to his residence in Mesa, according to a video from the companyRattlesnake Solutions.
Initially, Maki believed she was traveling to the home to collect a trio of snakes that had been inside the garage “for a few days.”
But when she arrived, both Maki and the homeowner were surprised to learn that 20 snakes — five adults and 15 babies — were actually inside. One of the snakes, she later added, appeared to be pregnant.
“There’s a lot of snakes in here!” Maki told the homeowner, who was also surprised to learn the extend of the infestation.
Western diamondback rattlesnakes, which can be between 4 and 6 feet in length as adults, tend to “hibernate in groups in small caves or abandoned burrows,” according to afact sheetfrom the National Park Service.
The homeowner said he “tried waiting them out” for a few weeks before seeking help. But he admittedly did not know the scale of the problem until Maki arrived.
Never miss a story — sign up forPEOPLE’s free daily newsletterto stay up-to-date on the best of what PEOPLE has to offer, from celebrity news to compelling human interest stories.
“This might be the most snakes I’ve ever got in one call,” Maki told the homeowner in the clip.
Many of the snakes, including some of the babies, had shed their skin while hiding in the garage. Maki said that could be an indication that some of the babies may have already left the garage, or that some were preparing to do so soon.
Company owner Bryan Hughes said the shedded snake skins appear to indicate that around 40 snakes were inside the garage at one point, according to theAssociated Press. andUSA Today.
In the meantime, he added, “This is our record for the most rattlesnakes caught in one call!”
“This is crazy,” Maki told the homeowner, going on to add that even though it was “a lot of snakes,” it was still “a very fun call!”
source: people.com
