ARCHIVED - Horseshoe whip snake found in a family home in the centre of Totana

Snakes from Sierra Espuña sometime stow away under car bonnets and emerge in urban locations

A family living in the centre of Totana received the fright of their lives at the weekend when they found that a large snake had somehow made its way into their living-room and was making itself at home underneath the furniture.

The Policía Local were called out immediately and were able to capture the reptile before transporting it to an area of the mountains of Sierra Espuña which is known, appropriately, as the Camino de la Piedra de la Víbora (the path of the Viper Stone).

The animal was identified as a horseshoe whip snake (Hemorrhois hippocrepis), which is a native species in southern Spain and can reach up to 1.5 metres in length. Although its natural habitat is in the mountains it is not uncommon for snakes to be attracted to the heat of car engines, and in this way they can sometimes become a stowaway as people drive back into towns. However, the local police report that they are unaware of anyone in Totana ever having been bitten by a disorientated horseshoe whip snake.