Los Altos residents in the Woodland Acres neighborhood are on the lookout for a non-native, venomous snake after a resident allegedly spotted one in his yard June 1.
Kim Cesena of Woodland Acres posted on Nextdoor about the experience her neighbor Jim Denz had that same day. Neither Cesena nor Denz responded to interview requests from the Town Crier.
“A neighbor found a Redheaded Krait snake in his front yard today,” Cesena wrote. “It slithered under his porch – Making sure everyone is aware until this gets caught – watch for your dogs outside and your kids and be careful when being by trash bins, wood piles and keep your windows up in cars. If you are really anxious about this, give animal control another call to get them out. This snake is venomous and illegal!”
Cody Macartney, lead officer at Palo Alto Animal Control, which also serves Los Altos, said the department responded to a call from Denz but couldn’t locate the snake.
“We were sent out on a call for a snake and the reporting party suspected that the snake may have been shipped here from an Asian country, and it was loose in his yard,” Macartney said. “And my officer, Officer Jeanette Washington, responded and didn’t see the snake at the time.”
Because the snake is believed to be from another country, the California Department of Fish and Wildlife is involved. Redheaded Kraits are native to Indochina, Borneo, Peninsular Malaysia and some Indonesian islands, according to a July 2022 scholarly article on the medical use of the snake’s venom. Redheaded Kraits bites are relatively rare, but no antivenom exists for it, the article stated.
Denz reported that the snake may have come from lumber he believed his neighbors imported from an Asian country; his neighbor, Yitong Zhou, said none of the lumber was imported from Asia.
The snake could also be an escaped pet, Macartney said.
Although many in the Nextdoor thread, and Macartney himself, noted that some native snakes have markings similar to those of the Redheaded Krait, potential misidentification can’t be verified.
Animal Control Services would only follow up on the situation if another sighting is reported, Macartney noted, and officers would attempt to secure the snake if it’s confirmed to be a Redheaded Krait and the correct protective gear is available.
“If the reporting party’s theory was correct, that it was shipped here, I would assume the game wardens might want to take custody of it,” he said. “And it either would be sent to a facility that can, you know, take these types of animals or maybe back to its native land.”
According to the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, snakes are most active at dusk and dawn. To prevent potential snake bites, avoid piles of leaves and tall grass whenever possible, wear boots and long pants when outdoors and avoid wood and rock piles where snakes can hide.
For more information, call Animal Control Services at (650) 329-2413.
