Georgia Woman Finds Snake Nest Under Bed With Mother and 17 Babies

A Georgia family was left shocked on Sunday night after discovering a family of 18 snakes in their home.

Trish Wilcher, who lives in Augusta, found the snakes underneath her bed after spotting one of them on the floor.

She told Georgia news outlet WJBF she thought the snake was "a piece of fuzz on the floor" at first, but then noticed it moved.

She said: "And then a second later another piece moved and I went to my husband, 'we have snakes!'"

Wilcher's husband Max used a grabber tool to place the snakes in a linen bag. Wilcher said Max took the snakes outside to a creek area and released them. In Georgia, it is illegal to kill non-venomous snakes.

Wilcher documented the ordeal on Facebook, where one post proved popular with over 1,000 likes and 680 shares as of early Tuesday morning.

Photos show what appear to be a small number of the snakes curled up on a carpet.

Wilcher said she and her husband had found "17 babies and a momma" and were looking for a company to help them check out their home.

"We have looked but I am not confident they are all gone!" she said.

In other posts and comments, Wilcher confirmed a trapper had come to the house to help out and that they did not find any more of the snakes. She said: "I may need a cardiologist after this."

WJBF reported the family believe the snakes were garter snakes. Garter snakes are largely harmless, but some possess a mild venom that is not dangerous to humans.

However, the bite may cause minor swelling or itching and should be cleaned thoroughly. Some cases of allergic reactions to the saliva of common garter snakes have been reported, although these are rare.

The Georgia Department of Natural Resources states snakes are common across the state, even in urban and suburban areas.

The department states on its website: "Snakes are not under every rock or behind every tree; encounters are relatively infrequent. Typically, the more people learn about snakes, the less they fear them.

"Snakes are an important component of our ecosystem in Georgia because of their major role as both a predator and prey… Unfortunately, many species of snakes are declining as a result of human activities."

Last week, it was reported that an Australian woman had to call in snake catching experts after finding a python in her shower. The snake was relocated outside.