Authorities in West Virginia said a man is facing charges after officers found him illegally keeping 12 rattlesnakes in his home.
The West Virginia Natural Resources Police said officers investigated allegations that a Randolph County man was capturing snakes from the National Forest and keeping them at his home.
Officers visited the man's home and discovered he was keeping 17 rattlesnakes -- far more than the legal limit of one snake.
Police said the man was charged with two counts of illegal possession of a timber rattlesnake and possession of a rattlesnake under 42 inches long.
The snakes were released back into the National Forest, officials said.
This article has been adapted from its original source.
