A BAD OMEN indeed! The preceding snapshots are authentic and were taken by photographer Jill Jones of Slidell, LA, whose husband Marc was on the receiving end of the unwanted visitor's reptilian wrath. Fortunately for him the snake wasn't venomous.
According to herpetologist David Steen, who contacted the Joneses to verify the October 2010 incident, the reptile in question was a Texas rat snake (Pantherophis obsoletus), which despite its geographically specific name also inhabits parts of Louisiana. "Texas rat snakes, like all their rat snake brethren, are exceptional climbers," wrote Steen in a November 20, 2010 blog entry. "They can easily navigate their way up and through the trees searching for potential prey, which include nestling birds or eggs or even perhaps the occasional lackadaisical squirrel. Climbing a door, with its convenient window panes, would be no trouble at all."
The only questionable part of the story is the unprovoked attack, Steen says, though he concedes "it's possible for an undetected rat snake to feel threatened by a human that gets too close, and then attempt to defend itself by striking."
As to what became of the unwanted house guest, Jill Jones was quoted as follows by the New Orleans Times-Picayune: "Let's just say he won't be bothering anyone again."
See also:
• The Snake in the Computer
• The Snake in the House
• The Snake in the Store
• Snake Swallows Man!
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Sources and further reading:
Husband Was Bit by Snake on Front Door Wreath
Behind Jill's Lens (Jill Jones' blog), 2 December 2010Knock Knock - Happy Holidays Edition
Living Alongside Wildlife (blog), 20 November 2010Snake in Wreath Was Not the Holiday Decoration St. Tammany Family Had in Mind
New Orleans Times-Picayune, 3 December 2010Texas Rat Snake
Southwestern Center for Herpetological Research
Last updated 12/09/11
