40 pythons have been rescued from plastic storage containers in a motel room in Ontario, Canada, according to reports.

The snakes, which are not legal for home ownership in the Brantford – where they were discovered – are thought to belong to guests who were staying at the motel for one night.

The snakes, which vary in size with the largest measuring 1.4 metres long, are now being examined at an animal shelter, run by the Brant County Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals (SPCA).