Snake found loose in Frankfield heads to Fota

WILDLIFE experts have issued a warning about the care of exotic pets after a snake, native to north America, was found slithering around a Cork suburb.

The 4ft-long California Kingsnake, which is usually found in south-western United States — from California eastward to Arizona — was found by a businessman in the Frankfield area of Cork city on Thursday night.

In the US, the species is frequently caught by youngsters and kept as a pet.