A Normal Evening Takes a Wild Turn
It was just after 8 pm when Deborah crossed the threshold of her new house in Saint-Paul-le-Gaultier (in the Sarthe department, western France, near the borders of Orne and Mayenne). Wasting no time, she made a beeline for the shower, ready to wash off the day’s worries under a stream of warm water. Minutes passed, and calm returned—until an odd sensation crept up around her feet. To her horror, a snake, which had slithered its way up through the pipes, began making its grand entrance.
“When I felt it on my feet, I screamed and ran out,”
Deborah recalled. The relaxing evening had turned into the stuff of nightmares in a matter of seconds.
Panic, Tears, and a (Surprisingly Brave) Partner
Hearing the commotion, Deborah’s partner hurried to the bathroom, heart pounding. He found her in tears, while the snake—shiny as the night and over a meter in length (almost 3.3 feet)—was coiled up in the shower, probably more bewildered than anyone.
“I was completely petrified,”
the Orne native admitted. Her partner, meanwhile, managed to keep his cool—someone had to!
The Sherlock Holmes of Snake Identification
As they tried to deal with their surprise visitor, Deborah’s partner turned to the internet. Thanks to an app that identifies snakes from a photo, he learned their guest was an Aesculapian snake—a harmless species often found in that region of France.
They decided against calling the fire department (which handles animal emergencies in France). Deborah explained:
“We didn’t want to bother them for nothing.”
Together, with nothing but a stick and a cardboard box, her partner managed to capture the serpent and release it into a field a few hundred meters away—not quite Crocodile Dundee, but a heroic effort nonetheless.
“I only stopped crying once the snake had disappeared into the wild,”
Deborah confessed.
Snake in the Pipes: A Rare Event
According to firefighters, this kind of incident is practically unheard of. Lieutenant-Colonel Foltzer, communications officer for the Orne Fire and Rescue Service, confirmed:
“To my knowledge, we’ve never had to intervene in the department for a snake coming up through the pipes.”
Reptile expert François Radigue, from the local Fauna and Flora Association, confirmed the identification of the snake as an Aesculapian—common in both the Orne and Sarthe areas and able to reach lengths of up to 1.6 meters (just over 5 feet). According to Radigue, these snakes are notorious for occasionally dropping in on unsuspecting locals.
A Plumbing Problem with a Slithery Twist
Why did the snake choose Deborah’s shower for its Houdini act? As the local specialist explains, its intrusion reveals an issue: a leak or weakness in the house’s drainage system, probably near a small outside tank. As it turns out, renovation work is already planned for the home’s septic tank—good news for anyone keen to avoid another surprise encounter with a mischievous reptile.
Relaxing in the shower is all well and good—unless you fancy company from the wild. Consider it a reminder: sometimes, even when the door is locked, nature finds a way in!
John is a curious mind who loves to write about diverse topics. Passionate about sharing his thoughts and perspectives, he enjoys sparking conversations and encouraging discovery. For him, every subject is an invitation to discuss and learn.
