Large boa constrictor discovered in a Somerset garden

The 4ft (1.2m) boa constrictor was discovered in undergrowth in a garden in Yeovil

A 4ft (1.2m) boa constrictor was discovered in a garden in Somerset.

The large snake was spotted at a house in Yeovil and reported to the RSCPA by a "worried man".

RSPCA's Alison Sparkes said: "I think he got a bit of a surprise. It's not everyday you stumble upon a 4ft snake in the bushes."

It is currently being cared for by staff in the exotics department at nearby Lufton College while the charity tries to track down its owner.

For more stories about rescued animals follow BBC England's Pinterest board

The RSPCA said it was "hard to know for sure" how the snake came to be in the garden

The animal welfare charity said it was seeing a growing number of exotic animals - including snakes - being abandoned because people "do not realise what they are taking on".

"It's hard to know for sure how this snake came to be in the undergrowth here - it may have escaped from a vivarium or may have been abandoned," said Ms Sparkes.

"But if anyone thinks they may know who this snake belongs to then we would urge them to get in touch with us."