HOUSTON — A South African family found an uninvited guest hiding in its Christmas tree.
The female boomslang snake is one of Africa's most venomous and the family found it hiding between the tinsel on their tree.
It was between 4 and 5 feet long. The snake's venom can be fatal to humans even in small amounts but they're shy animals and rarely bite.
An expert recovered the snake and said it probably entered the house looking for food, water and shelter.
The snake was safely released back into the wild.