Sharp rise in exotic creatures rescued by animal charity
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An animal charity is urgently seeking new homes for exotic creatures after reporting a 74% increase in the number it has rescued over the last five years.
The Scottish SPCA took in 265 reptiles last year including snakes, terrapins and lizards, up from the 152 cared for in 2010.
Ozzy the leopard gecko is just one of the pets looking for a new home and is currently being cared for by the charity in Angus.
She is described as friendly and good when handled, although anyone thinking of taking her on will have to have read up on how to care for a leopard geckos, which are nocturnal.
Chief superintendent Mike Flynn said: "Last year we took in over 100 snakes. They are good escape artists which are often found straying and in many cases their owners never come forward for them.
"The most common type we rescue is the corn snake but we also have other breeds of snakes looking for homes such as pythons, king snakes and milk snakes."
He added: "Sadly we have seven snakes in the care of our centre in Edinburgh who have been with us for a combined total of over 7000 days and it seems like they will never find the new homes they deserve.
"Our terrapins are amongst the most challenging of our rescued creatures to find homes for. We took in 95 last year and have many waiting to find suitable homes.
"We also regularly take in bearded dragons and other types of lizard and we currently have several bearded dragons, an iguana and a leopard gecko all looking for new owners."
The charity hopes to raise awareness as most people think of the centre as rehoming more traditional pets, such as cats and dog.
Mr Flynn said: "Unfortunately we don't receive as many enquiries about our exotic residents. With our snakes especially, a lot of people are put off by their appearance but we know there are plenty of reptile enthusiasts out there who would appreciate them for the stunning creatures they are.
"Our rehoming teams would be so pleased to hear from anyone who is sure they have the time, knowledge and resources to offer one of our exotics a fresh start."
Anyone who can offer an exotic creature a new home can visit the Scottish SPCA's website at www.scottishspca.org or call 03000 999 999.
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