Carpet pythons found abandoned in a cardboard box

The adult snakes were found on 3 August and were referred to a specialist vet

Two carpet pythons have been found abandoned in a cardboard box in Doncaster.

A council worker in Austerfield found the young adult snakes, which were rushed to a specialist vet for urgent care on Thursday.

The RSPCA said one of them, a male albino which was “severely emaciated”, would have died if he had not been found. The animal welfare charity said the snake was treated for a respiratory infection and mouth rot.

The other snake was female and appeared to be in better health.

It is believed the snakes were unwanted pets and abandoned by their owner.

A female phython was in better condition than the male snake found in the box (RSPCA)

The pythons are between six and eight feet long and, according to the RSPCA, can live longer than 20 years in captivity.

The snakes have found a temporary home at Reptilia in Ossett before a permanent one can be found for them.

RSPCA inspector Ben Cottle-Shaw said: "It’s clear from the very poor condition of the albino snake that this animal’s needs hadn’t been properly met for a long time and he would certainly have died eventually if he hadn’t been found.

“We suspect that attempts to rehome these reptiles were possibly unsuccessful, or the person who owned them has lost interest or couldn’t afford to keep them any more and they were sadly abandoned as a result."

“It’s never acceptable to dump pets in circumstances like this and we would urge anyone who recognises these snakes or has information about this incident to contact our inspectorate appeal line.”

How to handle a carpet python with care

According to RSPCA Australia, when taking care of a carpet python, you must consider heating and lighting, humidity and diet.

“Under no circumstances should live prey be fed to your python,” the website has said.

It has also put advice on how much pythons should be fed, for example - the frequency of feeding depends on the python’s age.

• Young carpet pythons can be fed every 1–2 weeks
• Adults have slower metabolisms and should be fed every 2–4 weeks depending on their body condition

The RSPCA said last year it received 1,031 reports involving snakes in need of help, with the number of calls averaging highs of 110 per month between May and August.