Snakes alive! Father discovers his son's 'toy' snake is real

Ever since he was given a toy snake, four-year-old Leonard Yip has used it to strike fear into his family.

So when his father Mark saw a 3ft creature wriggling around his front room, he assumed Leonard was on the end of it.

Then he realised his son was at school  -  and the snake was moving on its own.

At this point a terrified Mr Yip did what most red-blooded men would do. He slammed the door and yelled for his wife, Cindy. She raised the alarm with the local council, who sent a dog warden to capture the intruder.

It was confirmed that the reptile was an albino Californian king snake, a non-venomous constrictor which is believed to have escaped or been abandoned by a neighbour of the family in Paignton, Devon.

Having confirmed that it was harmless to humans, 44-year-old Mr Yip bravely handled it before it was taken away. It is now being looked after at a pet shop until someone comes forward to claim it.

The incident happened when Mr Yip, who owns a noodle bar in the resort, returned home to get a sun hat for his six-year-old daughter Ellie and spotted the snake.

Dangerous toy: Mark Yip with the King snake that he found his son playing with

'He thought it was Leonard's toy snake but then it started to move and he realised it was real,' said Mrs Yip.

'Leonard loves his snake. I bought it for him as a present and he's always using it to scare us.

'Mark's braver than me but when he realised what he thought was a toy snake was a real one he got a big shock.'

The reptile was taken away by Torbay Council dog warden Janice Pope. She already owns a corn snake, which is a similar species, and planned to take the new find home to keep in her spare tank.

But when she called at a pet shop for extra supplies, manager Tim Morris offered to take it in. Mr Morris, who runs Preston Pets and Reptiles, believes the snake must have been out of its vivarium for 'a good few weeks'.

He said: 'It is in an awful state. It has been drinking water for about half an hour.' The snake was also covered in a sticky black substance which must have been there since the last time it shed its skin, which could have been months ago.

Mr Morris added: 'If they don't eat their stomachs can shrink so I have just defrosted two medium mice for this one.'

King snakes are popular with first-time reptile owners because they are relatively easy to keep.

In the wild, they eat mice, lizards and birds, and are totally or partially immune to the venom of rattlesnakes. This means they can kill and eat them, which has made them favoured as family pets in the U.S.

They kill their prey by grabbing them with their small teeth and smothering them. King snakes can live for 15 years and go for two weeks without water and six months without food.

They come in many colours, including chocolate, yellow and black as well as albino.

Having recovered from her shock, Mrs Yip now hopes the incident will have a positive effect.

She said: 'In Chinese tradition we believe if a white snake comes into your house it will bring you good luck, so we hope it will.'