Woman flees home as 6ft boa constrictor goes missing (From Darlington and Stockton Times)

Woman flees home as 6ft boa constrictor goes missing in Catterick

10:50pm Friday 22nd March 2013 in News By Emily Flanagan, Reporter

A WOMAN called the police after fleeing her home when she discovered a tank housing her husband’s six foot boa constrictor snake was empty.

The resident of Catterick, North Yorkshire, was looking after the huge reptile for her soldier husband while he was serving in Afghanistan, but was horrified to discover this morning (Friday, March 22) that it had managed to escape from its tank.

She ran to a neighbour’s home and police and an RSPCA inspector were called to check the inside of the property.

It was eventually tracked down to the bathroom.

RSPCA Inspector Kristina Raine said: "The lady who is looking after this snake hadn't secured his vivarium properly and then panicked when she discovered he had escaped.

 

"She was hiding at a friend's when I arrived and the snake was slithering around the bathroom.

"He is a beautiful big snake - a six foot boa constrictor - and she was frightened to death so it was good to be able to help.

 

"He's now back safe and sound where he's been given some well deserved lunch."

The nocturnal South American reptiles are capable of eating small animals, including dogs, monkeys and pigs and can grow up to 13ft long.

When hunting in the wild, they use their jaws lined with small, hooked teeth for grabbing and holding prey while they wrap around their prey to suffocate it. But with regular handling when kept as pets, the snakes can become very tame.

In June last year a boa constrictor, believed to be an escaped or unwanted pet, was spotted by a walker at Swinsty reservoir, near Harrogate.