“I was pretty surprised …”
Published on Dec 19, 2025 at 3:53 PM
Late last month, a tenant in Houston County, Georgia, jumped when they noticed someone large and scaly living in their stove.
The shocked renter quickly called their management company and told them the news. Management personnel knew they needed an expert, so they contacted James Dowling of Houston County Georgia Snake Removal & Relocation for help.
Dowling took his time as he examined each part of the stove, starting with the back access panel and working his way around. Finally, Dowling found the animal nestled at the top of the machine.
“[A] big ol’ snake had found itself the coziest little spot right under the burners,” Middle Ga Handyman wrote in a Facebook post about the event.
The rescuer had seen snakes hidden in stoves before, but they’re usually closer to the bottom, near the floor.
“I was pretty surprised when we opened up the top and found it,” Dowling told The Dodo.
The snake was a ball python who’d likely escaped his enclosure and been abandoned by his previous family. Ball pythons are not venomous, so Dowling didn’t have to worry as he gently plucked the snake out from the stove and moved him into a carrier.
The rescuer took the snake back to his house, examined him for injuries and eventually found him a suitable home where he could live out the rest of his life in comfort.
In the end, Dowling was glad that everything turned out for the best.
“It was a good feeling to know that the new tenant could start enjoying her new place without worries,” he said.
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Scientist Sifting Through Leaf Pile Finds A Creature With Expert Camouflage
“This thing is absolutely incredible.”
By Ashley Ortiz
While hiking through Peru’s dense Amazon rainforest the other day, entomologist Phil Torres spotted a creature that most people tend to overlook. After carefully scooping up a pile of dead leaves, Torres sorted through the foliage one by one until one of them began to flutter.
“One of these leaves is actually an animal,” Torres said in a Facebook video.
The last “leaf” in Torres’ hand was a cricket-like insect called a katydid. While katydids share some similarities with crickets, like long back legs that allow them to jump and make sounds, there’s something that sets them apart from the rest: their unique ability to camouflage into their surroundings.
“Its legs look like a stick. Its wings look like a leaf,” Torres explained. “It even has little holes in it, as if it’s an old leaf. It’s got little notches taken out of it. It’s got veins just like a leaf. Incredible amount of detail.”
You can see Torres sort through the leaf pile here: