Snake in a Drain of the Day

Staten Island man and future nightmare-sufferer Allen Shepard was brushing his teeth early Tuesday morning when he glanced at his toilet bowl and found himself face-to-face with a California Kingsnake.

After a failed attempt to scare the reptile down the drain with a bottle of spray cleaner, he eventually called the building superintendent, who brought in a plumber to remove the four-foot snake from the bowl.

30 minutes of pulling later, the snake was finally out of the toilet and on its way to a Manhattan reptile sanctuary.

California Kingsnakes -- which are fortunately not venomous -- are among the most popular pet snake breeds. This particular snake is believed to have escaped from elsewhere in the apartment complex via a sewer line.

Rosenthal described his toilet snake encounter as "a very exciting morning." Sure, if being afraid to use your own bathroom ever again is your idea of exciting.

[cbslocal.]