A family avoided a terrifying close call in a Los Angeles suburb when a father found a snake hiding amongst his children’s outdoor toys. Instagrammer @hugo_willl shared the scary video of the snake’s capture online, where it quickly went viral.
Several news sources picked up the story, including KTLA 5 News. If it seems like these venomous reptiles are making more headlines than usual this year, it’s not just your imagination. That’s because many experts say that they are getting more calls about snakes around the country. Unfortunately, that spike in sightings has also led to an increase in bites reported, which can be scary for anyone who lives in an area these snakes call home.
But the good news is that this story has a happy ending, and the snake was spotted and handled while the homeowner’s children weren’t around.
Still, it serves as a very important reminder of how people who live near these snakes need to stay aware of their surroundings, especially when the weather turns warmer and they tend to be more active.
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A Father Caught the Snake’s Removal on Video
The Instagrammer captured the moment firefighters arrived at the house to remove the snake, sharing it with his followers. “Imagining finding a rattlesnake in your kid’s backyard among all the toys that kids interact with,” he captioned the brief video that showcased a ton of loose toys spread out across the backyard. “Still in shock. Luckily the kids weren’t home. Everything could have turned a very bad way. Stay alert.”
The snake appeared to be a large one, and firefighters used a pole to grab it as it tried to remain hidden between a few of the larger toys and the back fence.
“We had a rattlesnake in our driveway and now I do a yard check before the kids play anywhere on our property,” one concerned parent wrote in the comments. “All those smaller miscellaneous toys though would be more laborious to search and check every day.”
“It’s getting bad in LA with all these snakes bro,” another person wrote, prompting mixed replies from some people who argued that they’ve always been here and those who thought that officials should do something to limit the snake population.
Rattlesnake Bites Are on the Rise in Some Regions
While there’s no concrete figure when it comes to how many rattlesnake bites there have been so far this year in the U.S., Backpacker magazine notes that they are on the rise in Western states this year.
According to the magazine, hikers in places like California and Arizona are reporting a higher-than-average number of bites from venomous snakes in these areas, with hikers seemingly being the most frequent victims of these reptiles. As of April 2026, California had recorded 77 calls about snakebites, which poised the state to top its 200 to 300 bite average.
Meanwhile in Arizona, officials reported that the state had seen twice as many snakebites as usual by mid-March. So what gives?
According to a separate story from Backpacker magazine, warmer weather appears to be to blame. With climate change promising more severe weather across the country, including increased heat, this could end up being a rising trend in many areas of the country, which means people in certain regions may need to brush up on their venomous snake safety protocols so that they can keep safe if they are ever bitten.