HANCOCK, N.Y. — A New York man was awakened two weeks ago by his dog’s barking in the middle of the night. There was an intruder, all right, but not the kind the Hancock resident was expecting.
The man found a 3 1/2-foot timber rattlesnake on the living room floor and called for help, WIVT-TV reported.
Officials with the local branch of the state’s Department of Environmental Conservation captured the venomous reptile and released it in an area away from local residents, the Albany Times-Union reported.
Rattlesnake found in Hancock home https://t.co/G22ld9Oge1 pic.twitter.com/dKvKrDbWiQ
— NewsChannel 34 (@NewsChannel34) July 21, 2022
Wildlife officials said that timber rattlesnakes have been more prevalent in some sections of the state, including the Catskill Mountains and the nearby Shawangunk Mountains, according to the newspaper.
The snakes are native to New York state and are considered a threatened species protected by law, WIVT reported.
They are believed to be making a comeback since the mid-20th century, when there still was a bounty system on the reptiles, the Times-Union reported.
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