MIAMI SHORES, FLA. (WSVN) - A small snake got itself tangled in a web of trouble, which was actually a fake spiderweb that was part of a homeowner’s Halloween display. That curious reptile was on the hunt for something caught in there but wound up getting tangled himself.
Halloween festivities took an unexpected turn when a Florida black racer snake was found trapped in fake spiderweb decorations
“We got a call about a snake that was found entangled in what looked like spider webbing, and so my co-worker went to check it out and could not entangle it on site, so brought him back, and it was discovered to be entangled in the fake Halloween webbing that people put out for decoration,” said Yaritza Acosta with Pelican Harbor Seabird Station.
It happened at a Miami Shores home near Northeast 99th Street and Fourth Avenue. The homeowner discovered the very real reptile and called Pelican Harbor Seabird Station for help.
The Florida black racer is a non-venomous snake and a beneficial species to the state. As such, clinic staff had to work carefully to free it.
“They’re not harmful to people,” Acosta said. “They eat little lizards, insects, small rodents like that.”
While removing the fake webbing from its mouth, staff also found a small lizard that qas entrapped.
“As I was untangling and pulling it out, I realized that it was entangled around a lizard that was in his mouth, so it looks like he tried to eat the lizard that was caught, and then got caught himself,” Acosta said.
Eventually, both reptiles were safely untied from the webbing. The incident emphasized the impact decorating for the holidays can have on local wildlife.
“A lot of people do put the webbing in trees and things like that where wildlife is gonna encounter it, so maybe wildlife is able to escape these things, but in some cases, they aren’t,” she said.
The homeowner’s daughter shared her thoughts on the slithery guest.
“I was crying a little looking at the snake, when the snake was stuck, I was really sad,” Zoe Biuk said. “I love snakes. I think snakes are adorable, even poisonous ones.”
The homeowner is now relieved that potential trick-or-treaters won’t have to deal with any surprise snake attacks.
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