You’ve heard of the film Snakes on a Plane, but now get ready for the social media sensation Snakes Down a Lane, which is panicking Londoners with talk of ‘feral’ serpents by the canals
Despite London being a large built-up city, it still has plenty of wildlife. It’s very common to see squirrels out and about, flocks of pigeons taking up residence in tourist squares, and hear the dulcet tones of foxes loudly crying out while you’re trying to sleep. And that’s not even getting started on the rats the size of dogs running about.
However, even the hardiest of Londoners were given a fright this week when a resident shared they’d spotted what appeared to be a huge four-foot snake while on their morning walk. Sharing several snaps of the very healthy-looking reptile on social media, they wrote: “This is an Aesculapian snake and the largest one of this type I have ever seen.
“They haven’t been seen in England since the last ice age 20,000 years ago. This one is from a feral population that lives on Regents Canal next to the zoo. However, they don’t seem to be escapees, but rather someone released them back in the ’90s and they have started breeding.
“While large, they are not poisonous and are quite happy munching on the local mice and rats which they constrict. Also since they did live in England before, they aren’t really invasive, they are quite common in mainland Europe). So next time you are walking/jogging along the canal, slow down to see if you can spot these beauties, living in the heart of our beautiful city.”
Responding to the snaps on Reddit people were left stunned and rushed to make jokes and ask questions. One person joked: “I’m sorry, where the hell are your morning strolls?! Looks like a stroll down a lane between two fences.” To which someone else replied: “[They’re] one of those poor dog walkers you hear about in the papers, who keep accidentally strolling into some of the most horrifying things.”
Another user added: “That’s the first time I’ve seen a snake in London.” And a fourth person gasped: “WHAT THE F*** there’s a feral snake population in London? WHAT THE F***!?” While a fifth person wrote: “The last thing I thought I’d see in London is a snake, this is all quite interesting. Although, why don’t we have a location for this serpent?? I am scrolling like mad to make sure it’s nowhere near me..”
While the Redditor made some bold claims, further research says the Aesculapian Rat Snake was once native to Britain before the last Ice Age, some 10,000 years ago.
Despite shocking some locals, any snake fan worth their scales is well aware of London’s reptile population. According to London Zoo, Regent’s Canal has been home to a number of non-native Aesculapian snakes, or Zamenis longissimus, for several years.
And contrary to popular belief, the pit of serpents did not escape the Zoo but an organisation who were working to study them. It states: “The snakes either escaped from this facility or were released from it.” The Zoo also assures the public that the snakes are not dangerous in any way. It adds: “They are non-venomous and excellent climbers. They feed on birds, small mammals and reptiles.”
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