A four-foot albino snake left mother, Kelsie Cox, in shock after her son ran indoors telling her he discovered the reptile sunbathing in their back garden.
When her son Cory told her of his discovery, she just assumed it was a toy snake left lying around.
Due to her fear of snakes, Kelsie quickly made herself scarce when husband Shaun Cox confirmed the snow-white reptile was very much real and alive.
The brave dad took photos, retrieved the snake and placed it in a box.
Prestatyn’s albino corn snake is being looked after in Idlewild Animal Sanctuary
North Wales Live. Image: Idlewild Animal Sanctuary
The seaside town of Denbighshire in North Wales certainly wasn’t expecting to see a ghostly reptile slithering down Prestatyn High Street.
Shaun and Cory unexpectedly came across the animal when returning to their home
“It was in the back garden just lying in the sun,” said Kelsie.
“When Cory came running inside saying he’s found a snake, I was thinking it was a fake one. I’m terrified of snakes - I didn’t get very close but my children loved it. I left Shaun to care for it while I shared a photo on social media.”
She wasn’t the only one left feeling slightly uneasy. Seeing Kelsie’s post, a Deganwy woman said: “I think I would have died if I’d stumbled across that on the High Street.”
Another local expressed similar sentiments toward the reptile: “If I saw that I would be the first man on Mars!”
Identified as a non-venomous corn snake, it is thought to be a “Snow” morph as it had hints of orange-yellow pigmentation.
Despite their strange appearance, white corns have become popular as pets, so are relatively common.
When no one stepped forward to claim the Prestatyn snake, Kelsie Cox contacted Idlewild Animal Sanctuary in the Conwy Valley.
As well as offering respite for rescued birds and livestock, it rehabilitates injured and sickly animals, and reyhomes others.
After accepting the corn snake into her care, sanctuary manager Kim Barton-Jones said it was “definitely hungry” and that “the poor snake made short work of some food.”
Cats and chickens are more commonly rehomed by Idlewild, though earlier this year the sanctuary appealed for new homes for 56 mice.
Snakes are a relative rarity, though last month a 4ft Boa Constrictor was voluntarily surrendered to its care.
No one has yet offered it a new home. “Not a lot of people have the right facilities for a Boa Constrictor,” said Kim.
The owner of Prestatyn’s albino corn snake been identified so far. They have seven days to come forward and show proof of ownership, such as photos and vet references.
