Six snakes died in squalor after a cruel reptile owner left them in a maggot-infested tank in a freezing garage.
Vincent Parkes avoided jail after animal cruelty inspectors found the remains of the pythons in his sister's garage which had a door hanging off and "smelt of death".
The creatures had sadly died of neglect after Parkes, from Northwich, Cheshire, left them in tiny vivariums - glass tanks used to house reptiles - in the garage without proper heating or even any water.
The 34-year-old has been banned from owning animals for 10 years after RSPCA officers made the grim discovery at the property, finding numerous snakes had been crammed into the cages and left to suffer various ailments, causing one to die.
On further inspection however, officers Naomi Morris and Nadine Pengilly found the remains of five other pythons, which were piled on top of one another.
The two probed the property noticing "a strong smell of death" in December 2021, and caught Parkes trying desperately to conceal evidence of his neglect as he attempted to run off with a plastic tub with snakes' remains inside.
In an RSPCA prosecution held at Chester magistrates court last month, Inspector Pengilly said: “When I approached the garage I could smell the strong smell of death coming from inside.
“The garage was full of vivariums with the top one having several snakes lying on top of each other - all these reptiles looked dead.”
The inspectors recovered six large reticulated pythons from the vivariums, none of which were large enough for them, while the temperatures inside were too low, ranging from 14 to 15C.
One of the rescued pythons, who was in an emaciated state, later passed away.
The other snakes were also either underweight, suffering from skin issues or both.
Inspector Morris said: “The tanks were around 8 by 2 feet and there was no water in any of them.
“The wiring looked jumbled up and although the heat was on all of these tanks were plugged into extension leads that ran off one cable attached to the house.
“I had never seen an electrical set-up like this before and was concerned about its safety.
“The doors of the garage were hanging off the frame, which had come away from the brickwork so the tanks would have been exposed to the cold.”
A vet specialising in exotic animals stated that it was highly likely that “prolonged inactivity” in the small tank contributed to the snakes developing severe constipation, which had been discovered in the colon of one of the six which died.
Rotten lamb carcasses, one infested with maggots, were also found in two of the filthy tanks, the RSPCA said.
Most of the pythons were in poor condition and had been severely malnourished - one of the snakes which died weighed just 5.1kg, a fraction of the average python's weight of 170kg.
A statement from the vet read in court said: “These snakes did not have a suitable environment. Not one of the reptiles was living in temperatures near to those necessary for this species.
The size of the enclosures was unsuitable and there was a lack of water and adequate nutrition, as well as a lack of veterinary treatment. The health of these animals was allowed to deteriorate over weeks to months without intervention.”
Parkes had told inspectors that “he had a mate checking in on the snakes” while on a two-week holiday and that his mother and sister “kept on turning the electricity off”.
As well as the 10-year ban, the defendant was given an 18-month prison sentence, suspended for 18 months, after two animal cruelty charges were proven in his absence at the May 22 hearing.
Parkes, Adlington Drive, Northwich, was also given an eight-week suspended prison sentence for three non-animal cruelty offences, which will run consecutively.
