Slippery customer: The snake was curled up on top of Wendy Foley's washing when she opened the machineYou've heard of Snakes On A Plane - but snakes in a washing machine?
The biggest fright that most of us ever get from our laundry is when we discover a red sock in the white wash. Mum of two Wendy Foley got the shock of a lifetime when she encountered a five foot long SNAKE as she was unloading her washer.
Wendy made frantic calls to both the police and RSPCA - but was told she would have to wait until someone could come round to remove the uninvited guest from her smalls.
Wendy, 51, discovered the reptile curled up on wet washing inside her machine at her home in Exwick, Exeter, Devon.
She said: 'The washing had been through a full cycle and was ended, so I was going to take it out and out more washing in.'
'I opened the glass door at the front and I saw something. I took it be part of a pair of jeans and then I wondered if it was a toy snake that children use.'
'But then it poked its tongue out at me. It was horrible and quite big. It was just lying there on the washing.'
'I don't know if it had been through the complete cycle or not. I screamed and screamed - I was terrified.'
Mrs Foley, who has been using crutches after recent knee surgery, used one of her crutches to slam the door shut.
Scales of justice: RSPCA officer Marijae Zwager captured the 5ft snake the following morningWendy, who has two sons aged 18 and 21, said she rushed out of the house and stopped a man in the street who came into look. He thought that thought the snake could be a boa constrictor.
Wendy said: 'I called the police but as soon as I said what had happened they hung up, they thought it was a hoax. I called back and begged them to listen, that it wasn't a hoax, and they said they would get the RSPCA round.'
'I called the RSPCA and they said they would someone around but it wouldn't be until the next day. The boys and I waited outside the house for a while because we were so scared. Then they went to bed and I just sat on my bed all night absolutely petrified.'
'I kept thinking that it would get out and also that there could be more than one in the house. I hate snakes. They scare me and I have absolutely no idea where this one came from.'
RSPCA spokeswoman Jo Barr said the snake was thought to be a corn snake which is not poisonous.
She said Wendy called them at around midnight and that the snake had been there for some time.
She said: 'The caller said the snake was in good health, not injured and was confined, so it was not sick or in danger and an officer was sent out first thing in the morning.'
The RSPCA has now collected the snake.
Cherry Keehner, of the Tiny Boas reptile shop in Exeter, said: 'Corn snakes can grow to a metre and half in length, they are not poisonous but they can give you a nip if they are scared.'
Corn snakes typically retail for around £30.
Exeter has had more than its fair share of stray snake stories. Last year a customer left an eight foot boa constrictor, worth around £250, at the Tiny Boas store for safe keeping and never returned to reclaim it.
source: dailymail
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