Snake at large in Winnipeg is probably hiding, could stay that way for a while: reptile enthusiast

An eight-foot-long white snake is still missing somewhere in Winnipeg, and one local enthusiast says it could stay hiding for a while.

The reptile was reported missing on Saturday evening, when police said it was seen earlier in the day in the 600 block of Ebby Avenue in the city's Fort Rouge area.

However, unless it needs to come out to search for food or water, the snake could stay hiding in the same spot for as long as a week, says Rob Vendramelli, a volunteer with the Manitoba Herpetocultural Society.

Based on the description provided by police on Saturday, Vendramelli says, the snake is likely a corn snake or a ball python — both common as pets and legal in Winnipeg. While both those species are shorter than eight feet, snake lengths are often overestimated, he adds.

He says anyone who spots the snake should call animal services or 911, as police advised earlier. Corn snakes and ball pythons aren't venomous, so it's more likely a person would hurt the snake rather than the other way around.

"The worst they might possibly do is bite somebody," he said. "All snakes have teeth, so you might bleed a little bit. But generally, the snake is probably going to be more scared of people than anything else."

Vendramelli says his best guess as to how the snake got out in the first place is that its owner had likely let it outside for some sunshine, which the reptiles love.

"It was a nice day. Maybe someone had taken their snake out to the back yard to get some sun. Natural sunlight is beneficial to a lot of reptiles," he said.

"They're usually fairly tractable. You can keep an eye on them and keep them safe in their enclosures, [but] some of them are escape artists."

That's why he thinks if the snake isn't curled up in a tiny hiding place, it could be out basking in a sunny spot.

On Sunday afternoon, police tweeted that Winnipeg's animal services department was handling the matter, though the snake had not been located yet. A city official told CBC News the snake remained at large Sunday morning.