Large rattlesnake found beneath New Orleans home

Canebrake rattlesnake.

Credit: Arterra

Credit: Arterra

Canebrake rattlesnake.

A wildlife removal expert captured a rattlesnake measuring nearly 6 feet long beneath a home in New Orleans, WVUE reported.

Ryan Cook, who operates Gulf Coast Wildlife removal, said he was called after homeowners spotted the canebrake rattlesnake earlier this week.

"This thing gets out from underneath the deck and it's pretty much the biggest rattlesnake, the biggest snake I've seen in Louisiana," Cook told WVUE. 
"Anything over 5 feet with a rattlesnake is considered a monster. This one was 5 foot 8 inches and has 13 rattles on it, so it's been around a good long time."

Cook said it’s not the first time he’s heard of rattlesnakes in the area.

“I've been hearing of a lot more rattlesnake activity in the New Orleans East area. I believe especially around the Six Flags area because it's so overgrown,” Cook told WVUE. “No one's really doing anything to knock the numbers down, so you're starting to see more and more of these guys showing up in residential neighborhoods.”