Sidlesham woman's shock as old rope turns out to be a snake

Gayle Palmer had been walking across a field opposite her home in Sidlesham picking up rubbish when she made the shocking discovery.

The snake did not appear to be alive, but Gayle was "wary" because they are known to pretend to be dead when they feel threatened.

She took the three-foot long adult snake home and it is now in her freezer waiting to be turned into a piece of taxidermy.

The massive snake discovered by Gayle Palmer

Gayle said:"It wasn't quite what I was expecting to find when I set off.

"It's rather sad, really, because she's just perfect. She's just under three foot long, and it's quite unusual to find such a large snake.

"My dog had a sniff around and I was able to tell from that that the snake was definitely dead.

"I suspect a cat had got it. You couldn't really see any visible signs or scratches on the snake until you looked really closely."

READ MORE: Surprised dog walker discovers live 4ft python in a sack on footpath

The 51-year-old osteopath initially left the snake where it was, but later returned for it after several suggestions on Facebook that she should take the reptile to a taxidermist.

She said: "She's in my freezer at the moment, and next week I'll take her to a taxidermist, so her body can be preserved.

"Hopefully then she'll be able to have a sort of second life, and her body will be educational to some people."