Century 21 realtor Christopher White posted an Instagram video showing several snakes occupying an unoccupied Arkansas home, including one at the front door and others in the eaves and on an exterior electrical panel. Local station KARK identified the animals as nonvenomous black rat snakes, which feed on rats and mice and can be beneficial on farms. White shared the footage with his clients, who were understandably wary; experts recommend contacting wildlife removal professionals rather than handling snakes directly.
Do Snakes Have Squatters' Rights? Realtor's Showing Interrupted by Slithering Tenants
A black rat snake rests its chin on a twig as it peeks out from blooming wildflowers along a trail in the Greenbrier section of the Great Smoky Mountains National Park on Saturday, April 5, 2025.
Homeownership may be out of reach for many, but a band of snakes recently found the perfect vacant property in central Arkansas — and a Century 21 realtor got an unexpected surprise while showing it.
Christopher White, a Century 21 agent who posted the footage to his Instagram account, captured several snakes taking up residence in an unoccupied house he was marketing. The video shows one snake pushing against the closed front door, others hanging from the roof eaves, and at least one climbing a dilapidated exterior electrical panel.
"When I first got to the house I was treating it as business as usual. I got out of my truck, walked around the home," White told USA TODAY. "I had got back in my truck to look at the information for the house, and that’s when I looked over at the porch."
"After that, I saw the snake that came knocking on the door like a [door-to-door] salesperson," he added. "I stayed a bit longer waiting on my customer, and that’s when I saw the snake climb the electrical panel to be closer to its… friends."
White shared the video with his clients, who were as uneasy about the snakes as he was. Local station KARK identified the animals as nonvenomous black rat snakes. According to reporting that cited the Chattahoochee Nature Center, black rat snakes primarily eat rodents such as rats and mice, which can make them useful on farms and around properties where rodent control is a concern.
If you encounter a similar situation, avoid handling wild snakes yourself. Contact a local wildlife removal professional or animal control for safe relocation, and have any damaged exterior features (like loose panels or gaps) repaired to deter future wildlife entry.
Reporting: Drew Pittock covered the item for USA TODAY; the footage was shared by Christopher White on Instagram and subsequently picked up by national and local media.
Help us improve.
