This slithery find was made on a drain slab in the school, and the STOMPer who spotted it alerted the security guard, before going off to work.
The STOMPer MMSed us on Feb 7, and said:
"Snake scene at Yuan Ching Sec Sch."
She added that when she chanced upon it, it was coiled up, and is hence unable to give an estimate of its size.
Nonetheless, she alerted the school's security guard, but because she had to go off, she was unable to find out what happened subsequently.
Related post: 10 ft python found at Pasir Ris HDB void deck (15th January 2009)
Beware! Snake skin spotted in Ang Mo Kio (20th January 2009)
The snake in question appears to be a young reticulated python (Broghammerus reticulatus). This is one of our most common urban snakes, and they are known to flourish in our midst, hunting rats in our drains and sewers.
The threat to human lives posed by these snakes has been grossly exaggerated. While pet cats and dogs might be at risk, pythons of this size are quite harmless to people unless cornered. I hope the python was left alone to mind its own business.
Of course, there have been more than a few cases where pythons in our sewers have crawled up and emerged from toilet bowls, which must be quite a harrowing experience for anyone using the toilet at that time.
Pythons don't have specialised fangs like cobras and vipers, but they do have rows of sharp teeth that help them get a firm grip on prey.
Reticulated python skull
(Photo by boneman_81)
I shudder to think of the damage should the python strike out at certain sensitive areas of the human anatomy...
