Two pet snakes found loose near Assen, one still not claimed

Two exotic snakes have been captured in the area around Assen over the past week, prompting concern from animal rescue services, RTV Drenthe reports. A white ball python was discovered Monday near the edge of the Pittelo neighborhood in Assen, days after a Mexican kingsnake was found in nearby Taarlo.

“These two exotics are not dangerous, but I’d rather not run into them,” Annemay Bock of Dierenambulance Drenthe told RTV Utrecht. “We do find snakes more often, like the grass snake or the adder, but those occur naturally here.”

Both snakes are nonvenomous and are believed to have been kept as pets. The ball python is considered a manageable species for private owners, while the Mexican kingsnake is less commonly kept in captivity. It is unclear how either snake ended up in the wild, but it is reportedly certain they had lived in confinement.

After being temporarily cared for by the Dierenambulance, the Mexican kingsnake was reunited with its owner. However, the owner of the ball python has not been identified. “The snakes were found in two very different places. I don’t think they belong to the same person,” Bock told the newspaper.