Students are notorious for decorating their houses with trophies of wild nights out – from road signs and traffic cones to collections of pint glasses.

When they finally bid a last fond farewell to their digs, they often leave such paraphernalia behind.

But while most student houses are left with the occasional blackened frying pan or pyramid of empty beer cans, students in Bristol have this year been a little more inventive with their forgetfulness.

Student accommodation provider Unite audited its Bristol properties for lost and found items left at the end of the academic year.

One Unite team checking over a property discovered a six-foot snake beneath a bed.

Nathan Goddard, Unite sales and marketing director, said: "What they leave behind never fails to surprise us. We often wonder how these items make it into their rooms in the first place."

The 10 most bizarre items left behind by students were:

● A six-foot snake;

● A pole-dancing pole;

● A life-size skeleton;

● A pair of budgies;

● A giant pet rabbit;

● A 10 ft inflatable outdoor pool filled with water;

● Frozen chicken feet;

● A whip and a copy of the Karma Sutra;

● A scuba diving suit with air tank and flippers;

● A full-size air hockey table.

But the number of traffic cones, street signs and cardboard cut-outs dropped to a record low.