Family Driven from Home by Hundreds of Snakes

These non-venomous snakes are the most common reptile in Wyoming's Yellowstone National Park. They live near water and eat small rodents as well as tadpoles, snails and leeches. CREDIT: U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service

An Idaho family has been driven from its home by "hundreds and hundreds" of serpents. So many garter snakes were living in, under and around Ben and Amber Sessions' house in the small town of Rexburg that the ground outside appeared to move, they told the Associated Press.

"It was like living in one of those horror movies," said Ben Sessions, 31. He once killed 42 of the garter snakes — a non-venomous but nonetheless slithery species — in a single day, but was unable to put a significant dent in the population.

"It was just so stressful," Amber Sessions told the AP. "It felt like we were living in Satan's lair, that's the only way to really explain it." Each night, snakes slithered in the walls as the family slept.

The Sessions bought the house of horrors in 2009 for $189,000. They were told of the snake situation at the time, but thought it was overblown. It was not. Now that the Sessions have abandoned their mortgage — and have been forced to file for bankruptcy — the bank has put the house back on the market for $109,200.

Buyers beware.

This article was provided by Life's Little Mysteries, a sister site to LiveScience. Follow us on Twitter @llmysteries, then join us on Facebook.