Pet Snake ‘Angus’ Spends an Incredible Year at Large

Angus, a corn snake who went missing from his Spennymoor, UK home last year, recently turned up on a surprised neighbor’s roof. The Royal Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals reckons Angus had been dropped from the sky by a helpful (or terrified) crow.

RSPCA inspector John Lawson tells BBC News he was “gobsmacked” that the 3-foot-long female snake had survived the cold winter, since cold-blooded snakes rely on their environment to maintain body temperature. He thinks the groggy reptile was snatched up by an opportunistic crow, but dropped when the bird “realized it had bitten off more than it could chew.”

The lucky Agnus was treated by vets for a respiratory infection and declared healthy. “The vet believes Agnus had gone into brumation mode, similar to hibernation, and her body had shut down in order to survive,” Lawson explained. “It really is amazing that she survived for so long without heat – and also survived after a crow had decided to try to fly off with her.”

The RSPCA took the opportunity to remind pet owners that snakes are “excellent escape artists,” and that their enclosures need to be like maximum security facilities and locked when unattended. Angus learned the hard way about the perils of freedom.

Photo credit: RSPCA