Daytona Beach officers responding to a call found a venomous Florida cottonmouth coiled beside a homeowner's front door and used snake hooks and a transport bucket to remove it safely. Bodycam footage shared by the department shows the officers identifying and securing the snake without harming it. Authorities urge residents to keep a safe distance, secure children and pets indoors, and contact animal control rather than attempting to handle venomous snakes themselves.
Daytona Beach Officers Safely Remove Venomous Cottonmouth Coiled at Home's Front Door
Photo Credit: iStock
A routine call to a Daytona Beach residence became a serious wildlife encounter when officers from the Daytona Beach Police Department found a venomous Florida cottonmouth (also called a water moccasin) coiled beside a homeowner's front door, UPI reported.
Bodycam footage shared by the department shows two officers responding to the report and identifying the snake as a venomous pit viper. Because the animal was curled along the exterior wall adjacent to the doorway, it posed an immediate hazard to anyone entering or exiting the home.
Trained Animal Control personnel used snake hooks to move the reptile and secured it in a transport bucket for removal without harming the animal or putting the public at greater risk.
“History was officially made as our incredible Animal Control Officers successfully captured a venomous Florida Cottonmouth,” the department wrote in the caption of its Facebook post.
Encounters with cottonmouths are not uncommon in the southeastern United States, especially in warm, water-rich states like Florida where reptiles find ample habitat. As neighborhoods expand into wetlands, wooded lots, and drainage corridors, wildlife increasingly shows up in driveways, on porches, and near doorways.
How Residents Should Respond
The safest immediate steps if you spot a venomous snake are to: keep a safe distance; bring children and pets indoors; and contact local animal control or licensed wildlife professionals. Attempting to move or kill a venomous snake yourself can escalate danger.
Preventive Steps
Homeowners can reduce the chance of close encounters by keeping yards free of clutter, trimming overgrown vegetation, sealing gaps around porches and sheds, and remaining vigilant near water features, drainage ditches, and shaded walls. These measures make properties less attractive to snakes and make any that do appear easier to spot from a safe distance.
In this incident, trained officers resolved the situation quickly and safely, demonstrating the value of specialized tools, experience, and patience when dealing with venomous wildlife.
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