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One of the worst things that can happen at a get-together is when an uninvited and unwanted guest shows up — especially if they’re a slithering, toxic reptile. And a viral TikTok video has brought many peoples’ greatest fears to their phone screens.
In it, an angry-looking apparent Mojave rattlesnake is seen making its way through an Arizona backyard. The video, shared by @azspeeddemon, shows two people frozen in their chairs with their feet off the ground. The individual taking the video was sporting Crocs — definitely not a weapon of choice — and the other had closed-toe shoes, which likely didn’t make them feel much more comfortable with the situation.
“Welcome to Arizona!” the video reads. “My friends are trapped in their backyard by this Mohave rattler.”
Although Ace Venture helped shape my understanding of animals, I can neither confirm nor deny that the snake was a Mojave — or Mohave — rattlesnake. But, if it was, then the group was wise to stay out of the serpent’s way. According to Science Daily, the Mojave rattlesnake produces “lethal venom that can either shut down your body or tenderize your insides,” depending on where the snake is. The species is located in the U.S. and Mexico, ranging from California’s Mohave desert through southwestern states and into Mexico.
The specific snake we’re talking about in the TikTok was in Arizona, their largest geographical habitat in the U.S. Its Latin name is Crotalus scutulatus. According to a study in The American Journal of Emergency Medicine, researchers accounted for 5,000 to 10,000 toxic bites from snakes in the U.S. between 1989 and 2018. Only 101 were fatal in that timespan. The majority of deaths were caused by rattlesnakes, but the Mojave rattlesnake wasn’t directly linked to them as several rattlesnakes are roaming around the country.