A missing snake could still be alive in Hove – surviving zero temperatures and feeding on rodents.

Newly shed or sloughed skin of what is obviously a large snake has been found in the back garden of a house in Leicester Villas, along with two snake eggs.

Three months ago posters appeared in New Church Road, Leicester Villas and Worcester Villas, West Hove, warning that an 18ft pregnant Burmese python, which can crush its prey to death in a matter of seconds, may have escaped from its home in Hove.

Neighbours were warned to check their outhouses, garages and sheltered areas of their gardens in search of the missing snake, named Marylin.

Posters with a picture of the snake urged people to contact the police immediately if they came across the reptile and warned them not to approach as she was “unpredictable”.

But no snake was found, nobody admitted owning such a missing snake and nobody contacted the police.

By the beginning of November, the existence of a missing python was thought to be a hoax.

Experts believed it could not have remained alive outdoors in Hove during the autumn as pythons have to be kept in temperatures of at least 60F.

However, evidence has emerged that the snake has been alive all this time, possibly hibernating in a compost heap or, inside or underneath an outbuilding.

Daniel Houston, 42, the editor of a boating magazine, yesterday found 3ft of snake skin by the side of his garden shed.

He also found a snake egg nearby and last night he found another under his garden shed, which opened up the possibility the snake was hibernating under the shed.

Daniel, who like other residents had dismissed the missing snake scare as a hoax, now believes a huge snake, possibly pregnant Marylin, is living near his home.

Daniel, who lives with his partner Liz Wright, 41, and two sons, Archie, six, and Hector, three, said: “The boys are rather excited about the possibility of a large snake living in the back garden but we go out in the garden quite a lot and we have not seen any evidence until this week.

“Hector came running in yesterday and excitedly told us that he had heard it hissing. It is worrying someone may have let what is obviously an unlicensed snake escape and has not been keeping it securely.”

The skin was shown to snake expert Jeremy Adams, assistant keeper of natural sciences at the Booth Museum, Dyke Road, Brighton.

He said: “It does seem to fit together that this is the skin and eggs from a large snake that is not native to British shores.

“I cannot say for definite that this skin is from a Burmese python or when it was shed, but the skin is in good condition.

“People do exaggerate about the size of their snakes but this is definitely the sloughed skin from the end of a large snake.

“If it has survived the freezing temperatures and has found adequate food to survive in Hove, it is a pretty clever python and would have probably needed some assistance from somebody. I really think it is unlikely to have survived the recent cold nights.”

Burmese pythons feed on rats, mice and small animals. The young fend for themselves because female snakes do not take any responsibility after laying their eggs.

In the warm they can reach more than 20 feet in length, weigh more than 200lb and live for 25 years.

Many owners end up dumping Burmese pythons because they grow so quickly and become difficult for one person to handle.

Pythons generally mate in the spring, shortly after leaving whatever hollow or crevice that has sheltered them through the winter.

If the python is still alive and living in a garden in Hove, it is likely to remain in its shelter until warmer weather arrives.