Shelter’s longest staying snake still looking for home

By Charlie Fenton

An animal rescue center is seeking a new home for a snake, which is "Britain's longest serving shelter resident."

Bernard the Boa constrictor has been at RSPCA's Brighton shelter for 1,490 days (five years), making him the charity's longest staying resident.

He is eight and a half feet long and is an earthy beige colour with red and brown saddles running the length of his body.

The 15-year-old reptile devours a giant, foot-long rat or small rabbit every 10 to 14 days.

Staff at the home say he is a 'happy chap' who loves lounging around 'waiting for food'.

Fred Bark, 30, Head of Reptiles, says Bernard was handed in by his previous owner in 2021, who said they 'didn't have the space' to keep him at the new property they were moving into.

Boa constrictors are non-venomous snakes found in Central and South American rainforests.

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They can growing up to 18 feet long and have a life span of around 30 years

The animal lover said: "Bernard is a friendly snake.

"He is a gentle giant, really.

"He is quite happy to be handled, but as he is getting older, he can get a little stroppy sometimes which normally is the case.

"His favorite foods are rats and rabbits - we have them on repeat for him.

"He really enjoys lounging around in his enclosure under the lights and waiting for food."

Fred said the ideal owner they are looking for has experience working with snakes and can give him the 'time and energy he deserves'.

He also said they must have a large enough enclosure for him to fit into, with the correct lighting and heating equipment to keep him healthy.