Snake incidents spike in UK during warmer weather
Britons have been urged to be careful as snake incidents skyrocket in the summer months; The RSPCA has warned that hot weather is leading to an increase in the number of reptiles escaping.
As the UK experiences its third heatwave of the year, the animal welfare charity has revealed that reports of snakes are at 1,485 by 2025; This number is up sharply from 980 last year.
905 of these incidents occurred between May and September, when higher temperatures make snakes more active.
About one in five reports involved stray or wandering snakes, while others involved sick or injured pets, trapped reptiles and cases of intentional harm.
RSPCA Senior Scientific Officer Evie Button said: “We are seeing a significant increase in reports of snakes, with the highest numbers consistently occurring in the warmer months.
“Snakes naturally become more active as temperatures rise and are very skilled escape artists, so we would urge owners to take a few extra minutes to check that enclosures are safe and suitable for their species.
“With such high temperatures on the horizon, we are issuing this snake safety alert.
“Most of the incidents we deal with involve snakes believed to have escaped from their owners.”
The charity says a common mistake is to take pet snakes outside to enjoy natural sunlight without proper protection.
While sunlight benefits reptiles, the extra warmth makes them much more active, increasing their chances of slithering.
The RSPCA is also receiving an increase in reports about Britain’s native snakes, including grass snakes and vipers, which are often mistaken for escaped exotic pets during the warmer months.
Button said: “Exotic pets, such as snakes, often come into the RSPCA’s care after people realize they are not easy to keep or the novelty has worn off.
“Pet snakes are completely dependent on their owners for proper housing, heating, lighting and nutrition, all of which need to replicate their natural environment as closely as possible to keep them healthy and allow them to express their natural behaviour.
“People should only consider keeping snakes if they can be confident they can fully meet these needs.”
