A local man recently posted an unsettling video of a snake crawling onto him at a bar patio in Greenville.
The video shows a snake crawling across Greenville Avenue and crawling onto the chair of Andrew Tyler Madison and briefly onto his lap before crawling up onto the table.
Madison wrote on the video, “Just call me the Greenville Ave Snake Charmer.”
Despite the situation, Madison acted very calmly while the snake quickly crawled toward him and then on him.
He said that the manager of the establishment approached with a bucket and a pair of tongs to remove the snake, reported KRLD.
One commenter, Carrie Jenkins, suggested that it was a rat snake and that the snake approached the restaurant to hunt for rodents. Other commenters were concerned that the snake was injured, as it appears that part of the snake was hanging off of it, and wondered if the snake was seeking help.
Madison responded to worries about the snake being injured by speculating that it was run over while crossing Greenville.
The snake did bear some resemblance to the Texas rat snake. Rat snakes are often seen in solitude and can be found in swamps or forests, but also in urban and suburban areas. Texas rat snakes are non-venomous, have a pattern of alternating dark and light patches, and are around four to six feet in length.
They have long slender bodies and large triangle-shaped heads.
Generally, rat snakes do not pose a threat to humans. They may get defensive around humans and open their mouths in an attempt to bite, but more likely, they will slither away and hide.
Rat snakes are not venomous, so even if they do bite, their bites are not very dangerous.
A-Z Animals recommends using a hook on a pole to remove an unwanted rat snake from your vicinity and then placing the snake into a bucket or bag.