Terrifying: The 5ft snake was hiding in the darkness of the understairs cupboard and was startled by Mrs Perry opening the door
A mother-of-one was given a shock when she opened a cupboard and found a huge 5ft snake rattling its tail.
Shocked Louise Perry, 49, discovered the black rat snake after she pulled the understairs cupboard door open for a TV repair man.
The mother-of-one was stunned to find the snake staring at her before it slithered away from the light.
Terrified: Louise Perry, 49, discovered the black rat snake in an understairs cupboard where it hid away from light
Miss Perry said: 'The cable TV man wanted a power socket so I opened the door and there was a massive black snake just sitting there.
'It quickly slid away to the back of the cupboard and I screamed 'I've got a snake in the house'.
'I shut the door and freaked out completely. I was shaking." Miss Perry slammed the door shut and the Virgin Media employee called the police who alerted the RSPCA.
When the animal rescue charity worker arrived at the terraced house she was not prepared to deal with such a big snake and had to call for back-up.
Miss Perry, from Portsmouth, Hants, added: "The woman from the RSPCA had a look in the cupboard and when she saw it she was scared herself.
The snake is now being cared for at the RSPCA's Stubbington Ark animal shelter in Stubbington, Hants where it will find a new home if it is not claimed
'She said she had never seen a snake so big and phoned her colleague to come along and help out.
'At one point it rattled its tail and that was when I was absolutely petrified - it must have been angry.
'I told my 14-year-old daughter, Billie, and she stayed in her room the whole time.
'I rang my husband and he said it must be a slow worm - I told him 'that's no slow worm'.
'A snake expert came and was able to deal with it, but it took a good couple of hours.
'He put it in a glass tank and I couldn't even look at it - it was horrid.
'I've got no idea how it got there - we've heard a rumour that a neighbour may have lost a snake recently, maybe it's theirs.' She added: 'I didn't think I had an issue with snakes but when it was here I was so frightened.
'Now when I open cupboards I'm actually nervous and have to double check before opening the door the whole way.'
Unexpected: When the animal rescue charity worker arrived at the terraced house she was not prepared to deal with such a big snake and had to call for back-up.
The black rat snake is most commonly found in America. It has a painful bite and the snake's saliva can contain bacteria which can cause infection.
The snake preys on mice, rats, squirrels and birds, as well as bird eggs, and can live up to 21 years.
It is now being cared for at the RSPCA's Stubbington Ark animal shelter in Stubbington, Hants.
Manager of the Ark Mike Ward said: 'It is an exotic species which is fairly common to be kept as a pet.
'It is not venomous and seems fairly healthy. It needs people who know how to keep snakes in the right type of equipment and the right type of environment.
'We are looking after it for now but if no-one comes forward to claim it we will pass it on to a reptile rescue company who can make sure it finds a new home.'
source:dailymail
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