The cleaning crew at an Ahwatukee home spotted a snake inside and thought it was a rattlesnake. They lost sight of it but suspected it had disappeared beneath the couch.
When Marissa arrived and checked underneath, she found not one but two unexpected visitors: a baby Coachwhip and a scorpion. Neither was a rattlesnake, but both had apparently decided the couch was a reasonable place to hide.
The home sits beside a drainage that connects to a nearby desert preserve, providing a natural route for wildlife moving through the neighborhood. As for how the Coachwhip got inside, there were two likely possibilities. It may have slipped through an open door while the cleaning crew was coming and going, or it could have squeezed through a substantial gap beneath the door leading to the garage.
At this size, a young Coachwhip doesn’t need much room to get into trouble.
Marissa safely collected both animals and released them into suitable desert habitat nearby.