Yellow rat snake (above) was caught crawling through a Bronx family's living room Tuesday where it startled three children. (June 2, 2009)
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SOUTH BRONX, N.Y. ( WPIX) -- A family in the Bronx was far from charmed when a five-foot long snake slithered through their Gerard Avenue apartment.
Maria Dominguez, 37, said she first spotted the tan-colored snake under a living room table at about 7 a.m. Tuesday morning.
Police say it's not clear how the reptile -later identified as a yellow rat snake - got into the fourth-floor apartment near Yankee Stadium.
Yellow rat snakes, which can grow to 6 feet in length, are commonly found in the southeastern part of the country. Dominguez said her three children were terrified.
The family waited anxiously until police arrived, who eventually trapped the snake with a broom and a plastic bag.
The NYPD says the slithery creature was given to the Center for Animal Care and Control.
Richard Gentles, a spokesman for the facility said the incident was very rare but that the snake was not poisonous.
Maria Dominguez, 37, said she first spotted the tan-colored snake under a living room table at about 7 a.m. Tuesday morning.
Police say it's not clear how the reptile -later identified as a yellow rat snake - got into the fourth-floor apartment near Yankee Stadium.
Yellow rat snakes, which can grow to 6 feet in length, are commonly found in the southeastern part of the country. Dominguez said her three children were terrified.
The family waited anxiously until police arrived, who eventually trapped the snake with a broom and a plastic bag.
The NYPD says the slithery creature was given to the Center for Animal Care and Control.
Richard Gentles, a spokesman for the facility said the incident was very rare but that the snake was not poisonous.
