Snake lost for six months found in Haddington flat

Percy the black and white Kingsnake escaped his flat in Haddington, East Lothian, last December when he was just a hatchling.

His owners had lost hope of ever finding him again only for him to turn up in the flat upstairs.

The Scottish SPCA were called by concerned residents when they found the 12-inch snake in their kitchen on Monday.

After knocking on other doors in the stairwell, animal rescue officer Colin Arthur was surprised to find the snake belonged to neighbours, who were “delighted” to be reunited with their pet after almost half a year.

Mr Arthur said: “It’s likely Percy managed to survive for months by keeping warm near pipes and feeding on insects.

“This was a very memorable rescue and I’m glad it was such a success story.”

Kingsnakes come in a range of colours, including red and black. They are commonly kept as pets due to their ease of care, and are typically fed frozen mice.

They are usually quite docile and tame, and will only become aggressive if threatened. In the wild, they eat lizards, rodents, birds, and even other snakes.

Three years ago, a schoolgirl’s python caused hysteria in Arbroath after fleeing through a window.

One local was so scared of coming across the snake that she refused to use her toilet in case he “slithered up to bite her”.