Over 40 pythons seized at Arroyo Grande storage unit

San Luis Obispo County Animal Services officers found 42 ball pythons in a self-storage facility in Arroyo Grande on Thursday evening.

Officers received a report of abandoned animals about 6 p.m., Animal Services Manager Eric Anderson said. When they arrived, they found the snakes in plastic storage containers that were stacked inside one of the units at the Grand Avenue facility.

Just 20 of the snakes were alive, and they were taken to the agency’s shelter to be evaluated, Animal Services said. The other 22 snakes were dead and in “various stages of decomposition.”

The incident remains under investigation, and no additional information was available Thursday, Anderson said.

This story was originally published May 25, 2017 at 11:23 AM with the headline "Over 40 pythons seized at Arroyo Grande storage unit."