American snake found lurking in residential garden

A resident got the shock of his life when he found a pet snake lurking in his garden as he mowed the lawn.
The corn snake found in the garden.The corn snake found in the garden.
The corn snake found in the garden.

The slithering corn snake, which was about 50cm long, was found in the long grass of the property in Boycott Way in South Elmsall.

Luckily for the gardener, corn snakes are not venomous, and luckily for the snake, he was spotted before the lawnmower blades got too close.

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The RSPCA was called and an officer was able to capture the young reptile.

The RSPCA's Inspector Vanessa Reid said: “This corn snake is very young, only a baby really, so he was extremely lucky he was spotted in the long grass and managed to avoid losing his life to the lawn mower.

"Although he is generally healthy he does have lots of bruising on him with no wound or obvious injuries on the outside so we don’t know how this might have happened.

“No owner came forward for him so he is now being rehabilitated at a reptile centre where he will eventually be rehomed.”

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Corn snakes are not native to Britain, originating from North America, meaning is probably a lost or abandoned pet.

Vanessa added: “We think this is likely to be an escaped or possibly abandoned pet, due to his condition.

"Exotic pets like corn snakes have incredibly specialist needs and it can be challenging and expensive to meet their needs in captivity, this is why we would urge anyone considering an exotic pet to really consider whether they have the time, funds and resources needed to care for them properly.”

Corn snakes can live for up to 15 years and an adult corn snake needs a vivarium that matches their length, allowing them to stretch out fully, with the minimum width and height a third of their length.

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They can grow up to 150cm long so require large accommodation which must be sturdy and secure to hold heat and avoid escapees.

It can also be possible to microchip snakes and the RSPCA recommends that owners ask their exotics vet to do this, to help ensure escaped pets can more easily be reunited with their owners.