Posted by:
W von Papineäu
at Sat Jan 14 08:42:09 2006 [ Email Message ] [ Show All Posts by W von Papineäu ]
WORTHING HERALD (UK) 12 January 06 Snake charmed out of toilet
Photo at URL below
A surprise was in store for a Lancing man who discovered a snake in his toilet.
Billy Elliott, of Worthing and District Animal Rescue Service (WADARS), was called to a house in Western Road on Thursday to deal with the 18-inch-long, non-venomous corn snake.
He suspected the snake, believed to be aged between one and two, had probably been someone's pet but had grown too big or the owner had simply tired of it before flushing it into the sewers.
Mr Elliott said it was unusual to find a corn snake in water, as it is far removed from their natural habitat.
"In the wild, they live in the corn fields of North America. They certainly don't live in the water, unlike our native grass snakes, which would live on toads and frogs."
The snake is currently being looked after by a foster carer in Durrington but Mr Elliott said any hopes of reuniting it with its owner were fading.
"Ideally, we would like it to be claimed, but the more I think about it, the more suspicious it gets. Nobody seems to know anything about it. It could have travelled quite a distance in the sewers."
Mr Elliott had words of advice for anyone considering getting an exotic pet.
"Do your research first. You have got to think how long it will live for, what size it will grow to and what accommodation it will need," he said. "Corn snakes can grow to up to six feet in length and live for up to 20 years."
Anyone with information regarding the corn snake is asked to contact WADARS on 01903 217788.
Snake charmed out of toilet
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 GBR Press: Snake charmed out of toilet - W von Papineäu, Sat Jan 14 08:42:09 2006
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