Snake Found Inside Kids' Toybox: 'Oh No'

While nursing her newborn baby, a mother of three in North Carolina saw something that made her heart stop.

Entwined among her children's plastic dinosaurs, Jennifer Miyakawa Cloke caught sight of a large black snake.

"I was quite surprised to see her," Cloke told Newsweek. "I look over at my kids' toy box and wonder to myself, 'When did we get a rubber snake?' And then, 'Oh. Oh, dear...'"

Cloke knew right away that it was a rat snake and called her kids over to take a look. "Because rat snakes are generally really calm and not defensive, my husband was able to just pick it up and carry it outside," she said.

Rat snakes are the most commonly encountered snake in North Carolina, according to Mecklenburg County officials. They are known for their expert climbing skills and often make their way onto people's properties.

"I live just outside the Shining Rock Wilderness in the mountains of North Carolina, so snakes are very, very common around here," Cloke said. "Fortunately, there are very few venomous snakes in my region, so it make co-existence much easier."

Rat snakes are non-venomous and play an important role in the local ecosystem. "We live on a small farm, and rat snakes make great neighbors," Cloke said. "I'm sure we'd be overrun with mice if not for the snakes.

"We have one we call Grandaddy because he is BIG and covered in scars, and I've caught him in the chicken coop, swallowing eggs and looking like a garden hose full of golf balls, but I consider that the Nature Tax—you wanna live in the wilderness? Sometimes you have to pay the Nature Tax."

Despite being glad for the services of their rat snake neighbors, Cloke would still prefer not to have them in the house.

"I wanted to figure out how the snake got in and seal that entrance up—I would hate for a snake to get inside and get hurt or trapped," she said. "It got in a couple more times before we found out where it was coming in through the garage!"

Cloke shared photos from the incident to the Facebook page Ratsnakes in Predicaments in a post that has received thousands of likes and comments.

"He fits in perfectly with those dinosaurs," commented one user. "As much as I love my snakes, I think this one would have made me jump."

"Wait until one of the kids brings it to you and says I like my new toy," said another.