Hundreds of snakes found in ‘house of horrors’ in California

Hundreds of snakes and rodents were found in a property in Santa Ana, California (Picture: Reuters / Lori Shepler)

Hundreds of living and dead snakes kept in plastic bins have been discovered inside a ‘house of horrors’ in California.

More than 400 pythons, at least 220 of them dead, were found inside the stench-filled suburban property in Santa Ana.

‘House of horrors: That’s the best way to describe it,’ said animal services supervisor Sondra Berg.

Santa Ana police department animal services supervisor Sondra Berg carries dead pythons from the house (Picture: Reuters / Lori Shepler)

‘I mean there’s so many dead snakes … ranging from dead for months to just dead. There’s an infestation of rats and mice all over the house.

‘There are rats and mice in plastic storage tubs that are actually cannibalizing each other.’

Neighbors had complained of a stench from the house (Picture: Reuters / Lori Shepler)

Schoolteacher William Buchman, who owns the property, was arrested on suspicion of animal cruelty after neighbours complained about the smell.

Authorities said four of the five bedrooms in the home were stacked from floor to ceiling and wall to wall with plastic bins on wooden and metal racks.

Thomas Munoz (L) and Jason Haywood with the Southern California Herpetology Association and Rescue examine a python (Picture: Reuters / Lori Shepler)

The bins were packed so tightly that they didn’t require lids because there was no room for the snakes to slither out.

Some of the snakes were little more than skeletons. Others, only recently dead, were covered with flies and maggots.

A python rescued from the building (Picture: Reuters / Lori Shepler)

‘The smell alone – I feel like I need to take a shower for a week,’ said police Cpl. Anthony Bertagna. ‘They’re pretty much in all the bedrooms – everywhere.’

Buchman told authorities he was involved in a snake-breeding enterprise.