A snake was taken to a house party in Aberdeen, Scotland, before it escaped in the early hours of the morning through an open door. Police put out an appeal to find the female royal python, which is over four feet long and called Zapora.

The 11-year-old pet snake, which is not venomous and does not pose a threat to humans, is owned by Scott Riley, who described her as "really friendly and cuddly".

More from IBTimes UK

He let a friend borrow the snake from his flat and take it to a party in the same block. But at around 3am on 7 May, guests realised it had gone missing.

"I'm absolutely gutted," Riley told the Press and Journal, a local newspaper in Aberdeen. "I really think if she's gone outside then she will be dead...She loves to keep warm and she loved cuddling up in my hoodie front pocket."

"We are working to trace the animal and are appealing for anyone with information to call 101," Police Scotland said.

In the wild, royal pythons – also known as ball pythons – can live for as long as 30 years, though in captivity this can be a decade longer. They can grow in length to around five feet and are a mix of black, dark brown, and cream in colour.

"This is the smallest of all Pythons found in Africa," says SnakeType.com. "They tend to stay in the wooded areas, the grasslands, and the savannahs...the eggs of this snake are very big and there are usually between four and six of them in a clutch."

royal python snake mouse
A royal python eating a mouse Getty
Scotland