Photos: North Carolina Woman Rents Carpet Cleaner, Finds Python Inside

I'm sorry what?? A Monroe woman got the surprise of her life when she rented a carpet cleaner from Petsmart and it turns out she also got a python. Yes, a snake was in the carpet cleaner. Kristin Noo rented the machine from Petsmart in Monroe. In a Facebook post, she says that she noticed something in the cleaner before she took it inside her house. Thinking it was a bug she left it in her garage for a few minutes assuming it would escape. It was only after she had cleaned the carpet and gone to open the tank she realized what she had seen was a snake's tail.

She went to get a neighbor to help and he was able to dismantle the carpet cleaner and find the snake which they later identified as a python. Noo immediately went to call Petsmart and alert them of the situation. (I'd personally be screaming at them). She wrote that she 'started telling the story to the manager and before I even got the word “snake” out of my mouth he blurted out “OMG we are missing two ball pythons”!'  Then the manager had the audacity to ask her if she could bring it back to the store. Like anyone is willingly going to get in a car with a python. Heck no!

Noo and her neighbor were planning on either taking the snake into the woods (before they knew exactly what kind of snake) or just killing it. Petsmart did not want that to happen, and the manager arrived in 10 minutes to claim the reptile. But in case you glossed over that part, they were missing two pythons. Obviously, she is now terrified the second snake was also along for the ride. Noo notes that she is concerned it may have gotten loose in her car. I'd be having the Petsmart manager search every crevice. Or at least pay for it to be detailed. And by detailed, I mean searched thoroughly.

The moral of the story is don't rent appliances from places that also sell animals. Specifically reptiles. Honestly never in my life would I have thought to rent a carpet cleaner from Petsmart. But I can guarantee you now I never will.

I don't like snakes but we have a lot of them in North Carolina. I hike a lot and I love being in the great outdoors. However, snakes give me so much anxiety. I absolutely despise them. The most unpleasant part of hiking in 2020 was probably the snakes. My thought was that since we were all stuck in quarantine the snakes would breed in peace and now there are more of them than ever.

There are more than 3,000 species of snake on the planet, with 600 of these being venomous. Living in North Carolina, we must know all there is to know about snakes. It is especially relevant if you plan on camping, hiking, or even heading to a local park. The reason being is that North Carolina is home to six venomous snakes. These snakes are featured on our snake list below.

Every year I see probably about ten of these lovely creatures. They make me jump out of my skin. This venomous snake is also called Water Moccasin. This is the most common venomous snake out of the six. It is found literally everywhere throughout North Carolina. The bites for these bad boys are he bites are pretty painful, but deaths from copperhead bites are extremely rare. You can see more on this snake here.

This is a worthwhile one if you like snakes. The average length of a reticulated python is 20 feet. That's the length of two basketball hoops! These snakes are found in southeast Asia. The habitat preferences of these animals appear to depend on their location, but they enjoy rainforests, woodlands, and grasslands. You can see more on this snake here.

Though I love the colors, I wouldn't get close to them! The Eastern Coral Snake is often referred to as the candy stick snake. It is normally the most misidentified snake found in North Carolina. In the southern Coastal Plain from North Carolina to Louisiana, including Florida, the eastern coral snake is scattered. Throughout their range, they can be found grazing in areas of scrub oak sandhills and pine Flatwoods that flood seasonally. You can’t legally kill the Eastern Coral Snake due to their endangered status. You can see more on this snake here.

Just seeing photos of this snake gives me nightmares. Eastern Diamondback Rattlesnake is the largest and perhaps the most dangerous species of rattlesnake in the world. The backs of these heavy-bodied pitvipers are covered with black diamond patterns outlined in dark diamonds. In North Carolina, diamondbacks are usually found in sandy pine Flatwoods in the southeastern Coastal Plain. You can’t legally kill the Eastern Diamondback Rattlesnake due to their endangered status. You can see more on this snake here.

Wow! The heaviest snake in the world is the green anaconda. They can reach up to 220 pounds and 16 feet in length. A native of South America, the green anaconda inhabits swamps, marshes, and streams. These snakes are nonvenomous. You can see more on this snake here.

Do you often see these? I sure do. Most North Carolinians know at least the name of the copperhead. Copperheads are typically between two and three feet long, with a fairly heavy body. North Carolina is home to the most common and widespread venomous snake, the copperhead. You can see more on this snake here.

They're kind of cute, aren't they? Pigmy Rattlesnakes are also venomous snakes in North Carolina. In the United States, pigmy rattlesnakes are the smallest species of rattlesnake. Snakes that live in this region usually have dull gray bodies with a row of dark spots running down the center of their backs. In North Carolina, pigmy rattlers are found in pine Flatwoods and scrub oak habitats in the southeastern Coastal Plain and the Sandhills. They have been found at Crowder’s Mountain State Park in Gaston County. You can see more on this snake here.

Rattlesnakes of this species are large and heavy-bodied, with dark bands or chevrons protruding from their bodies. They are most commonly found in mountains and coastal plains. One of the most impressive things about this snake is the fact that it can strike up to 1/3 to 1/2 of its body length. I am not a fan of this snake. You can see more on this snake here.

If you are bitten by a snake, follow these directions given by the Carolinas Poison Center: