A woman woke from a nap to find a 3ft-long snake trying to enter her home through her bedroom window.
The startled woman ran out of the bedroom, shutting the door behind her, and called the RSPCA.
“It’s not every day you get woken up by a snake trying to get into your bedroom through a window – the woman was terribly shocked”, said RSPCA officer Enola Evans, who was tasked with removing the reptile.
When she went to find the snake, there was initially no sign of it.
The resident at the Hereford Walk property gave the RSPCA officer permission to search the bedroom in case the snake had made its way inside and hidden somewhere warm.
But again, after a thorough search of possible hiding places, the creature was “nowhere to be found”.
“As the window had been open for so long, it was getting quite chilly in there, so I decided to shut it. That’s when I spotted something moving,” continued Ms Evans.
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“It was the snake, coiled around the window’s rim. He had been very well-hidden, so I was really pleased to find him.”
The incident happened on 8 October and the reptile was found to be a corn snake, a non-venomous breed that is sometimes kept as a pet.
The snake was moved into a carrier and taken to a facility to be cared for until he could be reunited with his owner or put up for adoption.
“Snakes are excellent escape artists and will take the opportunity of a gap in an enclosure door, or a loose-fitting lid to make a break for it”, said RSPCA scientific officer Evie Button.
The RSPCA received 1,219 reports about pet snakes in need of help, including many strays, last year.
A high number of calls came in during the summer months as snakes become more active during hot weather.
Snake owners have been urged to be vigilant, invest in an enclosure suitable for the species and ensure it is kept secure – and locked if necessary – when unattended.
