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Monday, July 4, 2011

Snake on a bullet train causes scare in western Japan


The snake found on a bullet train is pictured in this photograph provided by Shiga Prefecture Police. (Mainichi)

A snake was found on the seat of a bullet train traveling between Shin-Osaka and Kyoto stations on June 4, promoting officials to halt the train.

The 1-meter-long red-and-black snake was found by a conductor in the third car of the Kodama 642 bullet train at about 8:55 a.m. on June 4. The train was halted at Maibara Station in Shiga Prefecture, and workers from a prefectural animal control center captured the reptile. None of the 200 passengers on board were injured.

Police are treating the snake as lost property, and are investigating how it got on board.

Officials from Maibara Police Station and Central Japan Railway Co. (JR Tokai) said the snake was found on a seat near the middle of the third carriage. One passenger in the carriage was moved to another carriage after its discovery, and the snake was captured at about 10:50 a.m.

A facility specializing in snakes identified the reptile as a nonvenomous Honduran milk snake native to Central America. The snakes are imported for sale in pet shops, fetching 20,000 to 30,000 yen each, according to one pet shop. It is said that they do not attack people.

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