Emergency call has dispatchers scratching their head

Rattlesnakes hanging from trees, striking at people. Huh, what. St. Francois County dispatchers were scratching their heads when they dispatched that message out on Friday afternoon. Strange enough, the dispatch proved valid as St. Francois County deputies took 14 rattlesnakes into custody.

'A landowner on Whittaker Road was clearing some brush and noticed an unusual amount of rattlesnakes in the trees and called dispatch,' said St. Francois County Sheriff Dan Bullock. 'Upon closer investigation, the snakes appeared to young. There had to be some older ones around though, if there were that many younger ones.'

Bullock said deputies captured the snakes and put them into a glass jar.

'We are in the process of contacting the Missouri Department of Conservation to come and get the snakes,' Bullock said. 'Under Missouri law it is illegal to kill a snake. Even a poisonous snake.'

Bullock said he wasn't sure how the deputies captured the snakes, but he did say that no one was bitten or injured during the incident.

'The whole thing is strange,' Bullock said. 'I've never seen rattlesnakes get up in trees before.'