MEMPHIS, Tenn. – Walls Elementary School has a snake problem, and they’re literally falling from the ceiling.

Parents and school staff are freaking out after a nonvenomous tray rat snake dropped from the ceiling tiles in a classroom this week and onto a teacher’s desk, nearly falling on the teacher’s head. At least one person sent an image of the reptile to WMC and said there’s a problem with snakes at the school and efforts to keep them out have been unsuccessful.

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The school is located in a large grass field near Memphis in the southeast corner of Tennessee, and one student’s grandparent, John Thompson, said it’s not uncommon for the snakes to seek shelter in the spring.

“They’re plowing this time of year, and it makes the snakes and frogs and everything else move out of the area,” he said. “I don’t understand how it could have got up in the ceiling. It may have crawled into the duct work or something.”

DeSoto County Schools officials called an exterminator to search the school for additional snakes after the recent incident, but they did not find any more. The district also paid the company to spray the school with snake repellent, WTVA reports.

“We can’t stop nature, but we can take combative actions,” district spokeswoman Katherine Nelson told WMC.

Officials with The Memphis Zoo confirmed the gray rat snake was harmless, but it was killed by exterminators nonetheless.

The news of the snake invasion literally drew hundreds of comments on Facebook.

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“That is my daughter’s school. I would hate to get a call that she has been bitten by a snake not only at school but IN the school this doesn’t set well with me,” Sarah Millican wrote.

“It’s a rat snake. This guy is harmless. He’s actually probably helping the school rid of a worse problem. They only go where there’s a food source,” Laura Tumminello posted. “Get rid of the mice and you won’t have any snakes.”

“I don’t blame the school system for the snake, but they are responsible for our children regardless of whether it is an act of nature,” Debbie Cavette added. “According to this report, the school system acted on it to prevent any other issues. If a reputable company has inspected and said that no other snakes were found, then that is about the most they can do other than maybe a weekly inspection.”

“A Common Rat Snake….I catch them and turn them loose around my house because they kill mice and will go after bad snakes……harmless snake but beautiful,” Debbie Erhart wrote.

“Great opportunity to teach kids to become familiar with nonvenomous snakes in their area!” Gina Craig posted. “My kids go to this school.”