Police in Japan's Shiga Prefecture are warning residents in Moriyama City to stay alert after a brightly banded pet milk snake escaped from a home and remained on the loose.
The reptile stands out visually: it has red, black, and white or yellow bands, and it measures over 3 feet long and roughly an 1inche thick. In a residential neighborhood, that kind of coloring could easily alarm people who come across it.
Here's what to know
According to Tokyo Reporter, citing Moriyama Police Station, the non-venomous snake was kept at a detached house in Moriyama's Katsube area and appears to have escaped when the clasp on its cage came open. Sankei Shimbun identified the owner as a 40-year-old part-time worker who realized the snake was missing after returning home at about 7 p.m. on September 18.
Police believe the snake most likely slipped out during the day because the owner saw it in the enclosure on the morning of September 18. She looked around her detached home and nearby streets but couldn't find it, then reported the escape to police at about 9 p.m. on September 20.
Milk snakes are native to parts of the southern United States, Mexico, and northern South America, making this a conspicuous exotic species in Shiga. As of September 24, the pet was still missing, keeping residents and police on alert.
More background
This was not a typical wild-animal encounter but an escaped pet from a neighborhood home.
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People who spot a red-, black-, and white-banded snake in a suburban area may not know whether it is dangerous, stressed, or likely to defend itself if cornered. Even non-venomous snakes can trigger fear, emergency calls, or risky capture attempts.
The case involves a pet rather than a wild predator, but it shows how human activity can create unexpected contact between people and animals.
Because the snake is far from its native range, its survival in Shiga depends less on natural habitat and more on short-term conditions such as shelter and falling temperatures.
What's being done?
If residents see the snake, authorities want them to contact the local police station immediately rather than trying to pick it up or otherwise handle it.
Sankei Shimbun also cited Shin Sasaki, 50, of the Otsu City reptile pet shop Eight Beat, who said milk snakes are generally docile and easy to care for despite being surprisingly strong.
Sasaki said the escaped pet could remain outdoors for some time: "It will be completely fine even if it doesn't eat anything for a month, so it will probably survive outdoors until the weather turns cold."
Where can I learn more?
Escaped pets and surprise sightings can quickly spark public concern and rescue calls. These articles cover escaped pets, urban sightings, invasive python discoveries, and behaviors that can worry owners.
• A snake owner noticed strange mouth movement and learned the warmed pet was acting normally.
• In Pennsylvania, rescuers found a massive snake slithering across a road and moved it safely.
• In Singapore, a black spitting cobra appeared near a playground, prompting calls for vigilance.
• In Dhaka, experts warned that common reptile species are increasingly slipping into human settlements.
• In Florida, residents made alarming discoveries in their homes as invasive Burmese pythons spread.
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