Animals

Animal Services Retrieves 5-Foot-Long Snake from Office Bathroom

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Update Jan. 9: The snake’s owner has reclaimed the animal from the shelter.

It may sound like a bad nightmare that a snake could slither out of your toilet, but that was the report that sent County Animal Services to a downtown San Diego office building Tuesday. 

The 5-foot, 6-inch Colombian rainbow boa was retrieved from the business’s bathroom, said Animal Services Deputy Director Dan DeSousa, but how it got there is still a mystery.

An employee at the firm said she had noticed the toilet water level was higher than usual in their restroom. She said after she began to plunge it, the snake slithered out.

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The door to the bathroom was closed and sealed with tape when an animal control officer arrived. The snake, which was on the floor at that point, was retrieved and transported to the Gaines Street animal care facility to be examined.

DeSousa said he was uncertain if a snake could survive in a sewage system.

The snake was in the process of shedding and slightly underweight. While being examined, the snake bit its handler.

If no owner comes forward by Friday, the snake will be transferred to a reptile group that has experience with that type of snake.

SEE MORE: Second Snake Seized from Pedicab Driver

Michelle Mowad is a communications specialist with the County of San Diego Communications Office. Contact