VICTORIA – An elusive corn snake that was coaxed from a storm drain below the streets of Victoria last week has been adopted.

The City of Victoria says in a release that after the reptile was pulled from the pipe, it was placed in the care of animal control and listed on their website under “Impounded Animals.”

Victoria Animal Control has a 96-hour waiting period to provide time for a pet owner to come forward, and it extended that waiting period once to allow extra time for the creature to be claimed.

There is a four-step process the reptile-loving applicant had to follow, including: an interview, an observation of the snake interacting with the potential adoptee, an application form and an overnight waiting period.

The city says its policies prevent it from releasing the name, location or any other information about the new owner of the non-venomous, nearly two-metre-long snake.

The creature was first spotted in the drain during routine maintenance on Aug. 17 and initially rebuffed all efforts at capture, including a heated tube and offerings of dead mice.

“The City of Victoria is pleased the once elusive snake is ssssafe and has gone to a good home,” the release from the city says.