A landlord developing a property in St Helens was in for a shock when he took an electric fire out - only to find a 4ft-long desert kingsnake behind it!

The reptile - which is native to Arizona, New Mexico and Texas and Mexico and consumes small mammals, birds and reptiles such as rattlesnakes - was found at a house in Peckers Hill Road, in St Helens.

The owner of the house was developing the property after the previous tenants moved out.

He went to remove the electric fire to replace it - and was gobsmacked to find a 4ft-long snake curled up behind it.

Unsure what to do he called the RSPCA for advice and animal rescuer inspector Anthony Joynes was sent to the scene.

He said: "I was quite surprised at the size of the snake, which is a non-venomous species, and the fact that it is in such good condition makes me suspect that it is a pet that has escaped.

"It is a more unusual species of snake for us to see and their diet consists of rodents, small birds, frogs, lizards and smaller snakes including rattlesnakes.

"I am not sure how it managed to get behind the fire but snakes are adept at squeezing through gaps and getting into wall cavities."

This was the third snake to be collected by the RSPCA in the area in recent days - and the second for Anthony to deal with.

On Tuesday, July 6 a Royal Python was seen slithering across a road at Mowpen Brow in Knutsford.

A member of the public saw the python and placed a container over it to keep it safe and again Anthony was sent to collect the snake.

Then on Wednesday, the RSPCA were called to collect a snake from a house on Pimblett Road, St Helens, after a shocked member of the public spotted a rat snake on top of a fridge in the kitchen

This time inspector Helen Smith was sent to the scene to collect the snake, which feeds mainly on rodents. The snake was found to be in good condition, but was very cold so needed warming up.

The rat snake's worried owner later came forward and said the snake had escaped when she was cleaning out her vivarium.

Anthony added: "The two snakes have been taken into RSPCA care and will be rehomed soon with a specialist keeper if we're unable to find their owners."

Many of the snakes that the RSPCA’s officers are called to collect are thought to be escaped pets.

The RSPCA would always recommend owners invest in an enclosure suitable for the particular species and that the enclosure is kept secure (and locked if necessary) when unattended to prevent accidental escape.

The RSPCA collects more snakes over the summer months. It is possible that some of these are escapees becoming more active in warmer weather.

It is also possible that this could be due to snakes having more opportunity to escape, if owners take them outside to take advantage of the natural sunlight. It is good for reptiles to be allowed the opportunity for natural sunlight, however we would urge owners to ensure that their reptile is kept secure when doing so, as reptiles can warm up and become very quick to move on a sunny day.

It is possible to microchip snakes and the RSPCA would recommend that owners ask their exotics vet to do this, so that snakes can be easily reunited if lost and found.

The RSPCA would always recommend that anyone who sees a stray exotic snake - to keep a safe distance, call our helpline on 0300 1234 999 and monitor the animal until we can get there.

For more information about snakes and their care, visit the RSPCA’s website.