Dad Finds Decomposing Snake In Christmas Wreath

An unwelcome unsavory surprise awaited a dad, who had bought a Christmas Wreath decoration to adorn his front door. He discovered a dead snake in it.

The dad, Karl Gaskell, 43, had decided alongside his wife Nicki, 40, on purchasing the twelve dollar wreath decoration but was not ready for the “less than aromatic” fragrance from the decoration.

Gaskell, who lives in Castletown on the Isle of Man, says he was spurred on to investigate the stench from the wreath.

His investigations revealed protruding coarse scales jutting out of the backside of the wreath, which was made up of bound straw.

Karl, who is an industrial chemist, pulled out of the straw base, the body of a dead decomposing snake.

Upon making the discovery, he was concerned whether the snake had been venomous or not because he believed that some snakes remain deadly poisonous even after their death. So, Karl contacted The Natural History Museum.

The Natural History Museum, on December 12th, replied to Karl's query.

They said that based on the photos provided, the snake was most likely a grass snake, Natrix natrix, though others do also tend to label it as a British grass snake Natrix Helvetica.

The museum also pointed out this type of snake loves to hibernate in straw, which could explain how the snake ended up dead in the wreath though if the snake was not hibernating in there before it died, although there could be other explanations.

The couple Karl and Nicki, and their daughters Aemilia and Claudia, 11 and 8 years respectively, were excited to be purchasing their first-ever Christmas wreath decoration. Still, this experience has left them jaded and disappointed.

Karl and his family have vowed never to buy another wreath decoration, as their first experience has left a foul lingering decaying reptilian smell in their noses.

According to Karl, the repulsive stench caused by the dead snake lingered in their home for days.

Gaskell bought the decoration at Co-op supermarket, and his complaints to them were meet with an apology via email.

According to the Co-op, they are speaking with their suppliers to ascertain how a dead snake could have ended up tangled inside the wreath decoration.

They said that this was not a common occurrence as they have not had such incidents happen before, but that they appreciate the feedback from their customers, and that they were sorry to Karl as their customer and they are conducting their investigations.