HOUSTON — Twelve neglected pythons were rescued Thursday from an apartment complex in the Oak Forest area, Harris County Pct. 1 Constable Alan Rosen's Office said.
Someone called to alert Precinct 1 about the snakes that they said had been left on a balcony on Watonga Blvd., south of W. 43rd St. and west of TC Jester Park. The caller said they'd never seen the owner feeding the snakes, only bringing them out to show children.
Animal Cruelty Investigators with Precinct 1 and Houston SPCA responded and met with the owner. Investigators said he admitted that the ball pythons had been on his balcony for months and that two of them were dead.
According to the SPCA, the snakes were "extremely emaciated" and had gone without adequate food and water for months. They were all in critical condition and two of the 12 died after the rescue.
Ball pythons, the smallest and most docile member of the breed, are native to sub-Saharan Africa. Experts say they should be kept in a habitat with a temperature of up to 92 degrees and have access to water to drink and soak in.
Investigators said the owner tried to create a warming system to help regulate the snake's body temperature but it wasn't working.
The owner agreed to surrender the snakes, including an all-white ghost or hypo python.
They were taken to the SPCA where veterinarians discovered they had dangerously low body temperatures ranging from 60-66 degrees.
"Reptiles are cold-blood and must rely on their environment to regulate their body temperature," the SPCA said. "Ball pythons need humidity to stay hydrated, support their respiratory systems and have healthy shed cycles."
The dead snakes were also removed.
The case was sent to the Harris County District Attorney's Office to determine if the owner should face criminal charges.
Fast facts about ball pythons
- Ball pythons are threatened in the wild because they're popular to collect for food, leather or to sell as pets.
- The resulting decrease of pythons in the wild allows the small rodents they prey upon to flourish, which in turn causes devastation to crops and native plant life.
- Ball pythons get their name because they tend to roll into a ball when threatened. The balling reflex is also thought to be a defense against being swallowed by other snakes.
- Females are larger than males. The average size is 3-5 feet and 2-4 pounds.
- The longevity record for ball pythons is 48 years!
- Also called the royal python, they are considered sacred ancestors of a god in some African tribes. These tribes impose severe penalties on members who harm the species. The tribes also conduct complicated burial rituals when the snakes die.
Source: Sacramento Zoo