A pet snake that was missing for a year has returned in an unexpected way.
According to the BBC, the Royal Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals (RSPCA) was alerted earlier this month to reports that a corn snake had been found on the roof of a garage in a resident's garden in Spennymoor, England.
RSPCA Inspector John Lawson told the program the three-foot-long snake was picked up by a crow, but the bird dropped it after it “realized it had bitten off more than it could chew”.
As it turns out, the female reptile named Agnus was the resident's neighbor's missing pet. She had been missing for a year after Agnus ran away from her home.
Lawson told the BBC: “After we rescued the snake, a local resident came over and was very happy because it was Agnus, the missing pet they had a year ago.”
He added that he was “astounded” that the animal had survived not only the crow attack but also the cold outside in winter.
According to the Smithsonian's National Zoo and Conservation Biology Institute, snakes are ecothermic, meaning they cannot generate their own body heat and rely on the environment to maintain their body temperature.
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After the ordeal, Agnus was examined by a veterinarian and treated for a respiratory infection caused by spending too much time outdoors in the cold.
“Veterinarians believe that Agnus may have entered a contusion state similar to hibernation, where his body shut down in order to survive,” Lawson told the BBC. “It's really amazing that she survived so long without giving her heat. And she even survived after the crow tried to fly away with her.”
The newspaper said the RSPCA advised snake owners to keep their reptiles in locked, secure enclosures when unattended as snakes are “excellent escape techniques”.
