Reptile experts were contacted after a “large snake” was spotted Tuesday in the schoolyard at Chemong Public School in the village of Bridgenorth, Ont.
Principal Debbie Strain, in an email to parents and guardians, noted that a “large snake” was spotted in a tree in the schoolyard during the afternoon.
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She said students were ordered to stay indoors and wait for an official with the Indian River Reptile and Dinosaur Park to attend. A school staff member showed a photo of the snake to reptile sanctuary curator Bry Loyst to help with its identification.
Loyst identified the slithery visitor as a common garter snake which was no longer in the area when he arrived.
“We looked for about an hour, but we found nothing,” Loyst told Global News Peterborough via email.
Strain noted garter snakes are commonly found in fields and grassy areas and “do not pose any significant safety concerns to people.”
“We remind students to let a teacher know immediately if they see an animal on school property,” she said.
The Indian River Reptile and Dinosaur Park on Highway 7 east of Peterborough is home to 400 reptiles from around the world and is considered Canada’s largest reptile non-profit sanctuary.