A resident in New Jersey was left shocked after he spotted a snake hiding behind his refrigerator in his apartment. He immediately called snake rescuers who took the snake to an animal shelter called Liberty Humane Society, where it was identified as a piebald ball python. Also known as pied ball pythons, they are brown or orange snakes with large white patches and stripes of unpigmented skin.
The snake, dubbed 'Banana' by rescuers, was found on the 29th floor of an apartment in the Newport district, the humane society said in a Facebook post. The rescuers are now trying to find the snake's owner. Interestingly, the ball python is one of the most popular reptiles kept as pets in America, and the piebald morph is one of the most prized varieties.
In a Facebook post, Liberty Humane Society shared a video of the snake and wrote, ''Banana'', this beautiful piebald ball python morph, is not a threat, but we guess to some people a surprise snake can seem like an emergency! "Banana” came to LHS today after a resident found them behind their refrigerator, panicked, and someone called JCPD. Did we mention their apartment was in the Newport district, on the 29th floor?''
Watch the video here:
The post further read, ''This is a socialized, domestic snake and is likely someone's escaped pet. Please contact the shelter if you have any information about where “Banana” belongs.''
Rescuers said the snake will be put up for adoption if no owner is identified within 7 days.
Notably, the pied ball python is a unique color morph of the standard ball python.
According to National Geographic, ball pythons, which live primarily in West and Central Africa, are one of the most popular choices of pets for snake enthusiasts and for breeders, as they are gentle, lazy, and non-venomous. The ball python is known for its defence strategy that involves coiling into a tight ball when threatened.
Their unique colouration and patterns are the result of a co-dominant genetic expression. According to the IUCN Red List, the ball python is near threatened in the wild due to habitat loss and poaching.
