Donegal farmer shocked to discover snake on land

A farmer in Co Donegal was left terrified after being confronted by a snake while checking on animals.

The farmer was walking lands at Milford when he was confronted with the American Grass Snake.

He initially thought it was a piece of piping but then saw its head as it moved.

He bravely managed to collect the two-foot long snake in a bag and brought it to LK Pets in Letterkenny to see what could be done with it.

Emma Curran of LK Pets said they were delighted to get the snake.

“I think the farmer got a bit of a fright alright but they are very friendly and can be easily handled if you know what kind of snake they are,” she said.

She said how the snake would almost certainly have died if he had been left out another day in the wild.

“It’s a lovely wee thing and it was obviously reared in captivity. It’s a corn snake and it’s quite young. It would have been kept in a glass tank and fed mice and would have been kept warm with a heat lamp. It would not have lasted much longer out in the wild,” said Emma.

Emma said the snake, which can grow up to five feet in length, has become a bit of an attraction at LK Pets.

If the owner is not found then Donegal’s own mini-zoo, Tropical World, has said it would be delighted to add the snake to their collection.