Snake Influx Has Naperville Residents' Skin Crawling

NAPERVILLE, Ill. (CBS) -- A snake invasion is making people's skin crawl in the western suburbs. Viewer after viewer contacted CBS 2 with photos of snakes along the river walk and invading yards in Naperville.

CBS 2's Brad Edwards went to investigate.

"I'll have five and six of them on my bushes," said Nancy Quigley. "They were twice as big as they were last year. They're not afraid of me anymore."

It's scaring away her delivery drivers.

"He'll see them and drop the package and run back to his truck," said Quigley.

Gina Cooper snapped a picture over the weekend of a northern water snake along the river walk.

"It's unusual for them to be out and that prevalent," said snake expert David Drake of Aquarium Adventure.

He says that the garter snakes hibernated longer this year because of the polar vortex.

"Now they're out feeding in larger numbers. Also the recent rains and the floods are gonna drive these animals out of their borrow," he said.

The city of Naperville Animal Control assures these creatures present no danger. Drake says if you can't identify it, don't touch it because there are venomous snakes indigenous to this area.