Mystery of snake in Gaslamp Quarter toilet solved

SAN DIEGO - The mystery of the Gaslamp Quarter sewer serpent was solved today.

The nearly 6-foot-long boa constrictor that shocked employees at a downtown San Diego marketing-public relations company Tuesday afternoon by slithering up out of the drainpipe of a toilet in their office restroom belongs to a resident who lives one floor above, animal-control officers have determined.

The property manager of the G Street building confirmed the origin of the wayward reptile when contacted this morning, said Dan DeSousa, deputy director of the county Department of Animal Services.

The creature probably made a fairly quick passage through the structure's plumbing, likely starting out in its owner's latrine, DeSousa speculated. Snakes seek water to soak in when they begin the process of shedding their skin, which this one appeared to be about to do, he noted.

The Colombian rainbow boa -- which was slightly underweight but otherwise seemed healthy -- may have simply gone in the wrong direction while trying to exit the toilet bowl in the apartment, or decided to venture off through the sanitation pipes for its own inscrutable reasons.

''He's not talking, so it's all conjecture,'' DeSousa quipped.

Since snakes are good at holding their breath for extended periods, the lack of air during the trek presumably would not have been much of a problem, according to animal services officers.

The owner will have several days to reclaim the constrictor. Otherwise, it will be turned over to a group that specializes in caring for abandoned reptiles, DeSousa said.