By Mal Butler
A Ryde woman had a ‘terrifying’ shock after discovering a 2ft-long snake curled up on top of her living-room blinds on Friday.
Janine Watson was stunned by the find and originally thought it might be a fake snake planted there by her husband, David, or son, James.
She said: “I walked into the lounge and looked out of the window and I saw a brownish thing on top of the blinds. My first thought was it was a plastic snake put there by my husband or son, because they are always playing practical jokes.
“Thankfully I didn’t touch it; instead, I ran upstairs where my husband, David, was working and asked him three time if he had put it there.
“He said, ‘No’ and then I asked if James had done so and he said, ‘No’ again. He came down with me and we were flabbergasted to see it was real and just curled up there.
“We Googled it, and it looked like a corn snake. So, we phoned the RSPCA, who were unable to help, but Amazon World were amazing and came around an hour later to help us.
“I thought it was quite small at first, but once it had gently been unravelled it was around 2ft-long. It definitely didn’t want to be moved and it took a bit of persuasion before it was captured. It was located to Wight Vipers; however, the owner, who lives down the road from us, has since claimed it and taken it back.
“He said it had somehow undone the latch on its casing, so, hopefully, it will be padlocked in now! It was terrifying.
“We have quite a hectic life, and David said: ‘Why can’t we just have one day when everything is just normal!’”
The corn snake is named for the species’ regular presence near grain stores, where it preys on mice and rats which eat harvested corn, and subdues its prey by constriction. It can grow up to 6ft-long but is non-venomous and a favourite exotic pet.
Carole Dennett