Crews pull moulted skin from storm drain; stubborn snake still elusive

City crews in Victoria have extracted moulted skin from a storm drain where a stubborn corn snake has set up shop for the past several days.

The snake was left in the drain over the weekend after it was first discovered Wednesday night, underneath Quadra and Mason streets.

The pipe has been sealed so the snake can’t escape, and dead mice were placed down the drain over the weekend to keep it fed until workers could figure out a way to extract it.

The city has also consulted with experts on the Lower Mainland who determined the animal was set to shed its skin, making it lethargic and somewhat uninterested in food.

Moulting can take up to a week to complete.

Crews have previously said if efforts to lure out the snake don’t work, they may have to excavate the street as a last resort.

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  A snake stuck in a storm drain beneath a Victoria street has been causing headaches for crews trying to remove it without harming it. Aug. 18, 2016. (CTV Vancouver Island)

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  'T' marks the snake: Victoria city staff say a boa or python up to six feet long refuses to move from a storm drain near Quadra and Mason streets. Aug. 18, 2016. (CTV Vancouver Island)