The 4ft-long reptile had been sunbathing outside the Cox family home (Picture: Daily Post Wales)

When young Cory told his mum he’d seen a snake, she thought he was simply telling tales.

Kelsie Cox had assumed a toy left around had sparked her son’s panic.

But her husband, Shaun, soon broke the news that Cory had in fact found a very real reptile.

The albino snake had been slithering around the garden outside much to the shock of the family.

Cory and sister Phoebe watched on as their dad took photos, retrieved the snake and placed it in a box.

Kelsie, who has a fear of snakes, had made herself scarce during the rescue.

Shaun and Cory had come across the ghostly 4ft long animal when returning to their home on Prestatyn High Street, in the seaside town of Denbighshire in Wales.

Kelsie told North Wales Live: ‘It was in the back garden just lying in the sun.

Pictures of the snake sent shivers down the spines of others in the seaside town of Denbighshire (Picture: Daily Post Wales)

‘When Cory came running inside saying he’s found a snake, I was thinking it was a fake one. I’m terrified of snakes – I didn’t get very close but my children loved it. I left Shaun to care for it while I shared a photo on social media.’

The mum-of-two wasn’t the only one left feeling slightly queasy.

Seeing Kelsie’s post, one local woman said: ‘I think I would have died if I’d stumbled across that on the High Street.’

A man expressed similar sentiments. ‘If I saw that I would be the first man on Mars,’ he shivered.

It soon emerged the albino snake was in fact a non-venomous Corn snake. It is thought to be a ‘Snow’ morph as it had hints of orange-yellow pigmentation.

The snake is in need of a new home (Picture: Daily Post Wales)

When no one stepped forward to claim the snake, Kelsie contacted Idlewild Animal Sanctuary in the Conwy Valley.

As well as offering respite for rescued birds and livestock, it rehabilitates injured and sicky animals, and rehomes others.

After accepting the Corn snake into her care, sanctuary manager Kim Barton-Jones said it was ‘definitely hungry’.

She told North Wales Live: ‘The poor snake made short work of some food.’

Cats and chickens are more commonly rehomed by Idlewild, though earlier this year the sanctuary appealed for new homes for 56 mice. Snakes are a relative rarity, though last month a 4ft Boa Constrictor was voluntarily surrendered to its care.

No one has yet offered it a new home. ‘Not a lot of people have the right facilities for a Boa Constrictor,’ said Kim.

Neither has the owner of Prestatyn’s albino Corn snake been identified so far. They have seven days to come forward and show proof of ownership, such as photos and vet references.

If the owner is not traced, the snake will be offered to people with experience of looking after reptiles.

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