Orange County neighbors concerned about possible exotic snakes on the loose after house fire

ORANGE COUNTY, Fla. — Neighbors in one Orange County community are concerned about possible exotic snakes on the loose.

They said new snakes started slithering through their yards following a house fire. A neighbor said the person renting that home was breeding snakes in the garage, which is where firefighters said the flames started.

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“We’ve been noticing a different type of reptiles,” neighbor Chesly Cherizol, who lives near Wautoma Place, said. “It makes me feel uneasy.”

Holly Raymond’s lives next door to the home that is suspected to have started the problem.

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“I have cats and they’re the first to let me know there’s a snake because they bring it to me,” she said.

She said the man who lived in the home that caught fire told her he was raising lizards and bold pythons that he was selling online.

Read: New homeowner moves in, finds snakes hidden in walls

A Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission worker said records did not show a license to sell the creatures from the home.

The owner of the home said the renter left after the fire and only came back to get the chickens out back. He said the renter did tell him he had a python. An FWC official said depending on the circumstance, FWC may issue a citation or warning and try to help the person get a proper license.

Snakes: What you need to know Of 3,000 species of snakes, only 300 are venomous, and only half of those are capable of inflicting a lethal bite. (NCD)

Read: Psssst: Here’s what you need to know about Florida’s 6 venomous snake species

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Pygmy rattlesnake The pygmy rattlesnake, which is also known as the ground rattler, is found in every county in Florida. (Steve A. Johnson, U.S. Geological Survey)

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