Odd lump under porch mat was alive and venomous, Arizona video shows

A rattlesnake with a sense of humor — or irony — was found expertly tucked under the welcome mat of a home in Phoenix, Arizona, video shows.

The startling encounter happened when the homeowner went to clean the porch mat, according to snake catcher Bryce Anderson with Rattlesnake Solutions.

“She was met with quite a surprise, at which point she threw the mat down on top of the snake,” he told McClatchy News.

Anderson responded to investigate and video shows he found a western diamondback that was nearly 3 feet long.

The snake, coiled tightly, appeared to be napping. However, it instantly sprang to life and began nervously twitching when faced with Anderson’s intrusive tongs.

It’s difficult to tell from the video if the snake bit the tongs or just tongued them. Either way, Anderson had the snake in a protective bucket within seconds.

The rattlesnake was then taken to a wilderness area and released. A size estimate was not provided, but the venomous reptiles average three to five feet in length, experts say.

Rattlesnake Solutions shared the video on Facebook and YouTube, prompting a mix of fascination and horror from commenters.

Some were impressed the lump under the rug was so easily missed. Others wondered what would have happened if a passerby felt their foot sink into something alive.

“Reach under there for the spare key,” AceParks wrote on YouTube.

“Now that is one heck of a burglar alarm,” Richard Penhallow said on Facebook.

“I always thought my cat was the only creature to hide under a rug,” Jared Meketuk wrote on Facebook.

This story was originally published February 21, 2024 at 7:47 AM with the headline "Odd lump under porch mat was alive and venomous, Arizona video shows."