Neighbors had been complaining for a while about the dreadful smell coming from William Buchman’s house in Santa Ana, California.

And when authorities raided Buchman’s two-story house Wednesday, they discovered the cause of the putrid odor.

Vast numbers of snakes — some alive, most of them dead and decaying.

In some cases, only the skins remained. Mice and rats were also in abundance.

Acting on a search warrant, police and animal services officers wearing protective suits and masks searched the house, finding dirty rooms full of stacks of plastic bins containing pythons.

Police said “several hundred snakes” were believed to be in Buchman’s home.

In just one room, they found more than 50 dead pythons and seven live ones, KCAL/KCBS reported.

Police said Buchman, a 53-year-old teacher, has been arrested and booked on suspicion of animal cruelty. He has not yet appeared in court or been formally charged.

It wasn’t immediately clear why he had kept so many snakes in his house.