Animal control officers have removed dozens of sickly snakes from an apartment in Baltimore, Maryland.
Sharon Miller, Baltimore's director of animal services, said officers rescued 56 snakes from the apartment on Tuesday. She said the reptiles were dehydrated and were infested with mites, and three had to be put down.
The snakes, which included ball pythons, reticulated pythons and boa constrictors, were removed after officers found them in squalid conditions, Miller said.
Animal control officers rescued seven additional snakes from a different home in the same area the next day, The Baltimore Sun reports. It's not clear whether the cases are connected.
The snakes were taken to an animal shelter.
Miller said an investigation is under way and citations or charges could result. A permit is required to own any kind of snake in Baltimore.
