This is not a place for ophiophobes. A 49-year-old American man was found dead in his Maryland home surrounded by more than 100 snakes, authorities said Thursday. The police were called after a neighbour reported him lying unconscious on the floor. He had allowed himself into his home after not seeing him for more than a day, the Charles County sheriff said in a statement carried by the New York Post.

The Covid 19 crisis doesn’t help people who may be unwell or otherwise because it can get out of hand.

In the house, firefighters found nearly 130 snakes, some of them highly venomous.

Among them was a 4.2-metre Burmese python, reports the New York Post. The reptiles were living in terrariums on shelves. All were recovered by Charles County Animal Control, a local animal shelter, with the help of experts from North Carolina and Virginia.

In an interview with local station WUSA9, Jennifer Harris, a spokeswoman for the charity, said it was the largest collection of snakes they had seen in more than 30 years of experience.

The rescue official also reassured neighbours, who were unaware of the snakes’ presence in the man’s home, of their safety. “I want to assure the community and anyone living in this neighbourhood that no snakes have escaped,” she said. “I know people were concerned that there could be a danger to people living nearby, but at this stage, we have not discovered any snakes on the loose after this gentleman’s death.”

Police said no evidence of foul play was found on the man’s body, which was taken to the chief medical examiner’s office in Baltimore for an autopsy.