Corn snake taken in by local rescue group

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This article was published 27/07/2023 (881 days ago), so information in it may no longer be current.

A corn snake that was found on Brandon streets earlier this week is safe and sound at an animal rescue facility in Cornwallis.

Trinity Aberhart, who runs Chaotic Exotics Animal Rescue, told the Sun that the snake has been in her care since it was found in the back lane of 12th Street and Louise Avenue.

“He seems to be in good condition despite being outside,” Aberhart told the Sun in an email, adding that she did not know how long the snake had been out on the street.

The snake was found by a Brandon resident, Cara Tully, who posted a photo of the snake on the People of Brandon Facebook page on Monday, shortly after it was discovered. The post — which indicated that it had been turned over to police — garnered more than 100 comments, including some remarks written by commenters who thought that the post was fake.

Tully told the Sun that she lives a block away from where the snake was found and was walking back from the Real Canadian Superstore with her boyfriend when she saw a family pointing at something. She heard people saying “snake” and assumed it was a garter snake.

Once she had a look at the snake, Tully realized it was someone’s pet and ran home to get a box. Tully called police and a Brandon Police Service officer picked up the snake in the box.

BPS confirmed that they received the corn snake and that they then turned it over to Aberhart’s animal rescue.

Tully said that she received many messages from people claiming that the snake was theirs.

“I’m just glad to know it’s at a rescue,” Tully said.

Aberhart said that any owners have not claimed the snake yet.

Though it’s not clear how the snake ended up on the street, Aberhart said that snakes have a knack for getting out of captivity.

“Snakes are wonderful escape artists, so it’s likely he just got out and made his way into the wild,” she said.

The Sun reached out to the resident who made the online post, but did not hear back by press time on Wednesday.

Aberhart said that she plans to keep the snake for a week or two to give the owners a chance to claim him and ensure that the reptile is healthy.

If the snake is not claimed, he will be put up for adoption, Aberhart said.

According to the Smithsonian’s National Zoo and Conservation Biology Institute’s website, corn snakes are distinguished by rows of a checkerboard pattern of marks along their bellies and a pattern of large red blotches down their backs. Their colour and pattern can vary depending on their age and geographic range. They are found in the eastern United States and are most abundant in Florida.

Corn snakes can live up to 23 years in human care and are widely popular as pets. Though corn snakes are not venomous, they are sometimes mistaken for the poisonous copperhead snake.

» gmortfield@brandonsun.com

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