Girl finds snake in club jukebox
A two-and-a-half feet long boa constrictor has been found by a teenage girl in a south Wales club jukebox.
RSPCA officers were called to the Premier Club in Cwm, near Ebbw Vale, after the discovery by the 13-year-old daughter of the bar manager.
Stacey Caldwell screamed when she put her hand into the return coin slot and touched the dead reptile.
The RSPCA said it was unclear if the snake had died in the juke box or if it had died and then been left as a joke.
She touched something and screamed - we looked and there was a snake lying there
Jane Caldwell
The snake was found on Thursday night, and Stacey's mother Jane Caldwell said on Friday: "She was looking to see if there was any money in the coin tray.
"She touched something and screamed - we looked and there was a snake lying there.
"She was very shaken and went white. She was really frightened.
"We called the police and they put a table up against the jukebox, but the customers wouldn't go anywhere near it all night.
"The snake was left there overnight until the RSPCA could come and get it this morning.
"We didn't know if it was dead but it wasn't moving.
"Someone must have put it there as a joke, but this was a cruel and stupid joke."
They are not venomous, but they are constrictors and I wouldn't have liked to have put my hand in the juke box and found it
RSPCA officer Keith Hogben
The snake was pronounced dead by a vet on Friday.
RSPCA animal collection officer Keith Hogben, who was called out, said: "We've identified the snake as a common boa constrictor.
"It was in good condition with no external injuries, so we aren't sure how it died.
"We don't know if it escaped and crawled into the jukebox or it has died and someone's put it there as a joke, which isn't funny."
Boa constrictors of this type are native to the rivers and forests of south and central America.
They kill their prey through asphyxiation and a fully-grown adult can be more than 9ft long.
This snake was about two or three years old. Mr Hogben said they were commonly imported to the UK as pets, but took a lot of care to keep at home.
He said: "They are not venomous, but they are constrictors and I wouldn't have liked to have put my hand in the juke box and found it.
"It must have been a shock to the girl.
"The snakes are quite cheap to buy, but you find that they take special care and equipment - we advise people to look into it properly before taking one on."
Story from BBC NEWS:
http://news.bbc.co.uk/go/pr/fr/-/1/hi/w ... 318349.stm
Published: 2005/03/04 12:56:47 GMT
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