Rattlesnake rescued from under tote at New York state vacation home

Aug. 6 (UPI) -- A New York State Department of Environmental Conservation officer responded to a vacation home where a timber rattlesnake was found trapped under a tote.

The department said Environmental Conservation Officer George LaPoint responded to a residence in the town of Hague where vacationers staying at the home reported finding a rattlesnake.

LaPoint arrived at the house and found the snake trapped underneath a tote outside the home.

"Using snake tongs issued by DEC, along with a cloth bag and bucket lid, he safely secured the rattlesnake in the bucket and removed it from the premises," the department said.

LaPoint took the snake to the department's Green Island maintenance facility after the Sunday rescue and officials said it will eventually be released back into the wild.

Timber rattlesnakes, the largest venomous snakes found in New York, are considered a threatened species in the state.