DANGEROUS wild animals being kept as pets in Worcestershire have been revealed.

Rattlesnakes, vipers and Mexican bearded lizards are among the wild animals kept as pets at homes across Worcestershire.

The information has been released by Born Free, an organisation that works to stop the exploitation and suffering of wild animals, and reveals how many dangerous wild animals are licensed to be kept privately in the UK.

Local authorities have also listed what dangerous wild animals live in their region and how many.

The numbers for Worcestershire may come as quite a surprise to you - and the identity of the creatures to boot.

In Wychavon, there are 14 different species of dangerous wild animals, with a combined total of 49 being kept as a pet.

What stands out from the list is the majority of pets that are a form of species of snake.

The species of snake that people in Worcestershire keep the most is the Mexican Jumping Viper - with a total of 13 households keeping it as a pet.

The next highest is the Red Diamond Rattlesnake at seven, followed closely by the American Copperhead and Pygmy Rattlesnake, both of which there are five recorded.

Only four pets being kept as pets in Worcestershire are not snakes.

These are the Mexican Beaded Lizard, which are one of only two verminous species of lizard and can live up to a span of 22 years.

Here is the full list:

  • Red Diamond Rattlesnake: 7
  • Black-Tailed Rattlesnake: 2
  • Uracoan Rattlesnake: 1
  • Mexican Jumping Viper: 13
  • American Copperhead: 5
  • Mexican Beaded Lizard: 4
  • Sharp Nosed Viper: 2
  • Saharan Horned Viper: 1
  • Green Cat-Eyed Snake: 1
  • Fan-Si-Pan Horned Pit Viper: 1
  • Nose Horned Viper: 4
  • Brazilian Lancehead: 3
  • White-Lipped Pit Viper: 1
  • Pygmy Rattlesnake: 5

Overall, as many as 187 private addresses across 126  local authorities hold licences to keep dangerous wild animals as pets.

These include lions, tigers, crocodilians and even venomous reptiles.

In total, the survey revealed over 2,700 dangerous wild animals are licensed to be kept privately in the country.

Chris Lewis, Born Free’s captivity research officer, said: “The Dangerous Wild Animals Act was intended to make the keeping of such animals categorised as “dangerous” a wholly exceptional circumstance.

“However, Born Free’s ongoing research paints a very different picture.

"Many members of the public will rightly be shocked to learn of so many animals being kept by private keepers."