LINCOLNSHIRE ECHO (Lincoln, UK) 20 September 10 Meet Rudy, the 8ft Taiwanese beauty snake who goes for a walk around Lincoln
They say that walking is one of the best forms of exercise and that is why Jody Adams has started taking his friend Rudy out for a stroll.
But as an 8ft Taiwanese beauty snake, Rudy often needs a bit of a helping hand to get out on the streets of Lincoln.
Mr Adams, 29, of Monks Road, has had Rudy for almost a year and said that the pair go out for walks together almost every day.
Some of Rudy's favourite destinations are the Arboretum, the abbey in Monks Road and other grassy areas in the city.
Mr Adams urged other snake owners to follow his example and said it was unfair to keep a snake locked up all day.
He said: "Rudy is like my son and part of the family. I like to take him for a walk and I try and do it every day. It's my belief no-one would like to be cooped up in a 4ft box.
"He is a living thing and he has feelings. He breaths and he sees things. More people with snakes should do what I do and take them out for a walk. There must be thousands of people in Lincoln with snakes, keeping them locked up when they should be out getting fresh air.
"I like to lay him down on the grass so he can slither around. He doesn't go very far.
"Some people we see on the street get really surprised by him and sometimes they'll cross the road to avoid us.
"Most people stare at us, but you get the odd few who want to come up and touch him.
"Rudy's a handsome fella compared to all these snakes with chunky heads. If anything ever happened to him I'd cry my eyes out."
Mr Adams often seeks snake advice from the nearby JC Exotics, in Monks Road, Lincoln.
Store owner Jim Tweedle said Rudy was a perfectly safe snake and that it was clear he was being well looked after.
He said: "Rudy is a very tame and a very beautiful snake.
"Jody really does care an awful lot about him and worries about him all the time.
"He always has him out, but he's non-venomous and not a threat to anyone."
Meet Rudy, the 8ft Taiwanese beauty snake who goes for a walk around Lincoln