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You can find the current article at its original source at http://www.theguardian.com/world/2014/jan/30/snakes-on-the-nose-house-found-packed-with-pythons-living-and-dead
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| Great snakes! California home found packed with pythons | |
| (about 7 hours later) | |
| A schoolteacher has been arrested after | A schoolteacher has been arrested after |
| hundreds of living and dead pythons in plastic bins were found stacked | hundreds of living and dead pythons in plastic bins were found stacked |
| floor to ceiling inside his stench-filled suburban California home. | floor to ceiling inside his stench-filled suburban California home. |
| As investigators wearing respirator masks carried the reptiles out of | As investigators wearing respirator masks carried the reptiles out of |
| the house by the score and stacked them in the driveway, reporters and | the house by the score and stacked them in the driveway, reporters and |
| passers-by gagged at the smell. Some held their noses or walked away | passers-by gagged at the smell. Some held their noses or walked away |
| from the five-bedroom home to get a breath of air. | from the five-bedroom home to get a breath of air. |
| "The smell alone I feel like I need to take a shower for a week," said | "The smell alone I feel like I need to take a shower for a week," said |
| police Corporal Anthony Bertagna. "They're pretty much in all the bedrooms | police Corporal Anthony Bertagna. "They're pretty much in all the bedrooms |
| everywhere." | everywhere." |
| Officers said they found more than 400 snakes at least 220 of them dead | Officers said they found more than 400 snakes at least 220 of them dead |
| as well as numerous mice and rats, in the Santa Ana home of William | as well as numerous mice and rats, in the Santa Ana home of William |
| Buchman after neighbors complained about the smell. He was arrested for | Buchman after neighbors complained about the smell. He was arrested for |
| investigation of neglect in the care of animals, Bertagna said. | investigation of neglect in the care of animals, Bertagna said. |
| Buchman, 53, was still in custody Wednesday afternoon, Bertagna said. | Buchman, 53, was still in custody Wednesday afternoon, Bertagna said. |
| The Newport-Mesa Unified School District, where he works, declined | The Newport-Mesa Unified School District, where he works, declined |
| comment, saying it was a police matter. | comment, saying it was a police matter. |
| Buchman has not yet had a court appearance or been formally charged and it wasn't clear if he had an attorney. | Buchman has not yet had a court appearance or been formally charged and it wasn't clear if he had an attorney. |
| Authorities said he lived alone, and neighbours said his mother, who once | Authorities said he lived alone, and neighbours said his mother, who once |
| lived with him, had died within the past few years. | lived with him, had died within the past few years. |
| Sondra Berg, the supervisor for the Santa Ana police department's animal | Sondra Berg, the supervisor for the Santa Ana police department's animal |
| services division, said four of the five bedrooms in the home were | services division, said four of the five bedrooms in the home were |
| stacked from floor to ceiling and wall to wall with plastic bins on | stacked from floor to ceiling and wall to wall with plastic bins on |
| wooden and metal racks. The bins were packed so tightly, Berg said, that | wooden and metal racks. The bins were packed so tightly, Berg said, that |
| they didn't require lids because there was no room for the snakes to | they didn't require lids because there was no room for the snakes to |
| slither out. | slither out. |
| Each snake was catalogued by name and type, and Berg said Buchman told | Each snake was catalogued by name and type, and Berg said Buchman told |
| authorities he was involved in a snake-breeding enterprise. | authorities he was involved in a snake-breeding enterprise. |
| "House of horrors: That's the best way to describe it," Berg said of the | "House of horrors: That's the best way to describe it," Berg said of the |
| house. "I mean there's so many dead snakes ... ranging from dead for | house. "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 | 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 | the house. There are rats and mice in plastic storage tubs that are |
| actually cannibalising each other." | actually cannibalising each other." |
| Some of the living snakes were little more than skeletons, police said, while others, only recently dead, were covered with flies and maggots. | Some of the living snakes were little more than skeletons, police said, while others, only recently dead, were covered with flies and maggots. |