One Toilet Snake to Avoid

ARLINGTON, Va., Jan. 4 (UPI) — Animal control officers in Virginia said they visited the home of a shocked resident to remove an unusual intruder — a yellow anaconda in the toilet.

“It’s never a dull day in Arlington County Animal Control!” the Animal Welfare League of Arlington’s Facebook post said. “Last week, our Animal Control team received a call about a snake in the toilet of a local apartment. Officer Brenys White was able to safely remove the snake from the toilet and brought him back to the shelter. We were all in for a bit of a surprise — we were expecting him to be a wild snake or a ball python, but the snake is, in fact, a juvenile Yellow Anaconda!”

The snake measured nearly 5 feet long — not quite the up to 13-foot length of a fully-grown anaconda.

“Luckily, we were able to find a specialist who is familiar with his species and will be able to give him the care that he needs. We highly encourage anyone thinking about having a snake as a pet to do extremely thorough research to determine whether they will be able to adequately care for their snake,” the Facebook post said.

“They need specialized care and housing, and while they are non-venomous, can be dangerous when they reach full size and are not well-socialized. Plus, no-one likes being surprised by a lost and confused snake in their toilet!” the shelter said.