Surprise: Warrant turns up house full of snakes

VANCOUVER, Wash. – There were some tense moments at a Vancouver home on Thursday when police officers served a search warrant and found 40 snakes, most of them poisonous, inside the house.

Also inside: a 4-foot long alligator.

Vancouver Police said the man who lived in the home was a “hobbyist,” but did not have a proper permit for all of the animals. His identity was not released.

Clark County Animal Control personnel were called in to clear out the reptiles, which included 34 poisonous snakes. The reptiles were kept in clear tanks and other containers.

"This person had 30 or so that were not permitted by state of Washington or City of Vancouver to have in his residence," Drue Russel with the Vancouver Police Department said.

The animals were taken to another location. No citations were immediately issued, but the investigation is ongoing.