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An American species of snake was captured slithering on the veranda of a flat in a Scottish high rise, with animal rescue officials asking for the public's help in finding the reptile's owner.
In a press release on Friday morning, the Scottish Society for Prevention of Cruelty to Animals (SPCA) revealed that a corn snake had been found slithering around a block of flats at Marischal Court in Aberdeen, Scotland.
"Please note, this is not a rehoming post. Please only contact us if you have relevant information," the SPCA wrote in the Facebook post. "This corn snake was found on Marischal Court, Aberdeen, on 18 August."
The animal welfare organization confirmed that the snake is now in the care of its center in Aberdeenshire, with the agency asking anyone with information about the reptile to contact them.
"Snakes are notorious escape artists and can squeeze through the tiniest of gaps in their enclosure so it's quite a common occurrence for them to come in as strays," Louise Griese, manager of the Scottish SPCA's Aberdeenshire Animal Rescue and Rehoming Centre told Newsweek.
"The snake is currently in our care and thankfully unscathed by their adventure! If anyone recognizes this snake or is concerned about an animal they should call our helpline on 03000 999 999."
The SPCA also posted a photograph taken of the animal to its Facebook page, showing the orange and yellow snake lying on the arm and hand of one of its officials.
The corn snake is a breed of rat snake that is native to southern states in the U.S. that was given its name because it is often found "hunting mice in corn stores," according to the Northampton Reptile Center.
Although corn sakes are often kept as pets in the UK, a majority of them are bred in captivity. They are harmless to humans, but prey on small rodents by use of constriction.
Snakes not native to the UK are often found in residential areas, and in July a landlord developing a property in the northwest of England was "gobsmacked" after finding a four-foot snake native to the U.S. and Mexico curled up behind an electric fire.
The reptile, a desert kingsnake that is native to Arizona and Texas in the U.S. and parts of Mexico, was found on July 2 inside a home in Peckers Hill Road in St Helens, England, by a landlord who was carrying out work on a house after his tenants had moved out.
The reptile, which is non-venomous, generally eats small mammals, birds, lizards and smaller snakes including rattlesnakes and coral snakes.
Snakes are also found in unusual places in countries across the world, with supermarket workers in a New Zealand town in July discovering a dead one inside of a box of bananas when they opened up a crate from Ecuador.
A snake specialist later formally identified the reptile that was 20.7 centimeters in length as a juvenile Leptodeira ornate, also known as an ornate cat-eyed snake.
The snake is generally found in South America and is not native to New Zealand. Although the rear-fanged snake is mildly venomous and could inflict pain on a human if it bites, it is not generally considered dangerous.
Newsweek has contacted the SPCA for comment.
