Woman terrified of snakes finds Californian Kingsnake in her bed

A woman got more than she bargained for when she turned in for the night, and found a 2ft Californian kingsnake in her bed. Terrified Alex Gosbee, from Wincheap in Kent, saw the menacing reptile just seconds before switching off her bedroom lights. The 44-year-old said: “I just froze. I’m terrified of snakes, especially snakes that are a few inches away from my foot. I very slowly climbed off the bed and, without making any noise got out, closed the door behind me and then freaked out in the kitchen.” Frantic Alex ran next door and called on the help of two friends, who returned with her to see the snake disappear down the side of the bed.
She said: “They spent over an hour pulling my bedroom apart but couldn’t find it so they gave up and went home.” A nervous Alex eventually climbed back into bed, leaving the lights on, but unsurprisingly couldn’t sleep. It was then she saw a familiar face poking its head out from the side of her hairdryer bag. She said: “It was flicking its tongue out at me and then disappeared back into the bag. I nearly had a heart attack. I jumped up, immediately zipped the bag up and went downstairs. I was then really afraid it might suffocate so I crept back up and carefully unzipped the bag enough so it could breath, but not enough so it could escape.”

Alex called her neighbors back and the snake was tipped into a pillowcase in front of stunned people at the nearby Esso garage. She said: “My friend thought the snake would be better off in a pillowcase, which we could tie up, but I wasn’t having him empty a snake out in my house, so we went and did it on the petrol station forecourt instead.” After discovering the snake wasn’t venomous, Alex was persuaded to pick it up and found it quite tame. She said: “I’ve kind of got used to it now. I never would have wished for it but I think this experience has cured me of my phobia. He’s really cute and I’d keep him if it wasn’t for the cat being so unhappy.

“Admittedly it was terrifying at the time but I’m now rather fond of snakes, as long as they’re not sitting on my bed.” Experts believe the snake, which can grow to 5ft long, may have escaped from a local pet owner. It has now set up home in a plastic box at the end of her bed, complete with hot water bottle to stop it getting chilly. She said: “I think its been in the house for a while as my cat Meena has been jumpy for the last couple of months.” The snake is thought to be about a year old and is in extremely good health.