‘Anyone missing a cat?’ Bloated rattlesnake at NM school has people asking questions

A very bloated rattlesnake was captured at a New Mexico elementary school this week, leading to ongoing speculation over what the heck it had just eaten.

School staff found the “chunky” snake Monday, and trapped it under a trashcan until reptile experts could safely remove it, according to the Albuquerque Animal Welfare Department. The name of the school was not released

“It looks like someone ate a BIG breakfast!” the agency wrote in a Facebook post.

Video shared on Facebook shows the snake was so tubby, it teetered rather than slithered when released safely into a wilderness area.

“I don’t think he could get at us if he tried,” someone is heard saying in the video.

Commenters on the post quickly began speculating what the snake ate to look so miserable, including some who called it a “piglet.” Some suggested it swallowed a prairie dog, while others suspected it was a large rabbit or bird.

“It was at a school, did anyone take (roll) call in the kindergarten class?” Temujin Childers posted on Facebook.

“Anyone missing a cat?” Brandon Broemmer asked.

“Looks like she’s pregnant,” Saul Duarte suggested.

City officials didn’t offer details on the species, but photos appeared to show a western diamondback rattlesnake. They can reach 7 feet in length and live 20 years, according to the Arizona-Sonora Desert Museum.

New Mexico is home to eight venomous snakes, seven of which are different species of rattlesnakes, New Mexico State University reports.

Western diamondbacks are known to eat “mice, rats, rabbits, gophers, ground dwelling birds, lizards and other small animals,” the museum says.

This story was originally published September 28, 2021 at 12:36 PM with the headline "‘Anyone missing a cat?’ Bloated rattlesnake at NM school has people asking questions."