SHIGA (TR) – Shiga Prefectural Police are urging residents to remain on alert after a brightly colored pet snake escaped from a home in Moriyama City and has been on the loose for a week, reports the Sankei Shimbun (Sep. 24).
The missing reptile, identified as a milk snake, measures about 1 meter in length and 3 centimeters in thickness. While non-venomous, the snake boasts a striking striped pattern of red, black, and white or yellow. The species is native to the southern United States, Mexico, and northern South America.
According to the Moriyama Police Station, the snake’s 40-year-old owner, a part-time worker, noticed the reptile was missing at around 7 p.m. on September 18 upon returning to her home in the Katsube area. The clasp on its breeding cage had somehow come undone.
The woman had seen the snake in its cage that morning, leading investigators to believe it made its escape while she was out for the day.
After a frantic but unsuccessful search of her detached home and the surrounding neighborhood, the owner finally reported the escape to police at around 9 p.m. on the 20th.
Shin Sasaki, 50, from the Otsu City reptile pet shop “Eight Beat,” noted that while milk snakes are generally docile and easy to care for, they are surprisingly strong.
“It will be completely fine even if it doesn’t eat anything for a month, so it will probably survive outdoors until the weather turns cold,” Sasaki said.
Police are asking anyone who spots the brightly colored reptile to refrain from handling it and to contact the local police station immediately.
