Raid Nets a Nest of Exotic Snakes at San Carlos Home

San Diego County animal control officers on Wednesday seized 26 nonpoisonous, exotic snakes--some more than 10 feet long and weighing more than 35 pounds--from a San Carlos snake breeder, authorities said.

The snakes, the majority of them pythons, were confiscated about 9 a.m. from Gary Sipperley, at his home in the 6700 block of Renkrib Avenue.

Some 500 snakes at the house were not seized, but were catalogued by San Diego Zoo herpetologists--experts in the study of snakes--said Sally Hazzard, director of the county’s animal control department.

Officials seized the snakes along with two poisonous lizards after charging Sipperley with violating San Diego laws prohibiting the keeping of dangerous or poisonous reptiles, including adult boas and pythons more than 3 1/2 feet long or weighing more than 15 pounds.

City authorities also are investigating whether Sipperley violated business zoning laws.

‘Potential Danger’

“The snakes were seized for a variety of reasons,” Hazzard said. “The rule of thumb is (to seize) those that pose potential danger to humans.”

Sipperley declined to comment. But a spokeswoman for the San Diego Zoo, where the snakes and lizards are being housed temporarily, said such reptiles are not necessarily dangerous when in the care of expert breeders.

“None of the snakes were venomous, but all the snakes are definitely over 3 1/2 feet. It was hard to tell their exact length because they were coiled,” said Georgeanne Irvine, a zoo official. “Boas and pythons are constricting animals, so if they’re hungry, they could be dangerous. But if someone knows how to handle them, they should be OK.”

The reptiles will be kept at the zoo until the county Department of Animal Control conducts a hearing for Sipperley. Officials said it is uncertain whether the breeder will get his snakes and lizards back.

Confiscated were one South American boa constrictor, nine California king snakes, three pythons from Sri Lanka, five Australian pythons, eight rare albino Burmese pythons and two beaded lizards, Irvine said.

The seizure, authorized by a search warrant, occurred several weeks after a citizen filed a complaint against Sipperley, Hazzard said. She said the citizen, who was not identified, feared that the snakes would escape.