As a cold front passed over the nation, a woman in Hualien was on Thursday startled to find a highly venomous snake had chosen her shoe as a place to hibernate.
A Hualien City resident named Lin Li-wei (林立維) said his wife had just put her foot into her sneakers when she felt something soft inside and that the shoe was very cramped.
Upon looking inside the sneakers, she found a Taiwanese krait balled up inside, he said.
Photo provided by Lin Li-wei.
Lin said they immediately called the fire department to help remove the snake from its temporary winter residence, which was accomplished without hassle.
However, Lin’s wife was traumatized by the incident, saying she will never be able to wear her sneakers again.
Society of Wilderness Hualien branch director Hsiung Fan-sheng (熊帆生) said snakes and centipedes usually look for warmer places in which to rest or hibernate.
Shoe cabinets and other locations in buildings that are warm and damp are usually preferred areas for snakes or centipedes to park themselves, Hsiung said.
Hsiung said that people living in wide open spaces should keep their shoes high off the ground or at least give them a firm shake before putting them on to avoid being surprised by any temporary residents.
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