JOURNAL-CONSTITUTION (Atlanta, Georgia) 30 July 07 Avondale snake sheds boa moniker - Experts say snake could be a python instead (David Markiewicz)

Avondale's breakaway boa constrictor might not be a boa after all.

The sneaky snake, spotted in the DeKalb County town last week, is more likely to be a Burmese python, one expert says.

That may be of little consolation to locals who fear all things reptilian, but the python isn't much of a threat to humans.

"I understand people are terrified of snakes, especially the big ones like this," said Jason Clark, owner of Southeastern Reptile Rescue in Milner, a business specializing in snake rescue and unwanted reptile removal. "But I don't think they have anything to worry about. He's not going to attack you or chase you. If you leave him alone he'll probably roll over or crawl away."

Clark was called on the case after a resident in the western end of Avondale Estates spotted a snake described as about 7-feet-long in a backyard. It was seen in a wooded area off Dartmouth Road near Forrest Hills Elementary School. Three workers searched a several acre-sized area for about three hours Friday, but turned up nothing.

"There's really dense foliage back there," Clark explained. "Lots of vines and kudzu."

The snake initially had been thought to be a boa constrictor, but Clark said, after talking with the person who saw the snake, that the Burmese python is the probable culprit. That snake, he said, is more likely to be of the large size described. Most of the red tailed boas seen in Georgia, he added, are a bit smaller.

Clark thinks it's likely that the snake, whatever kind it is, was someone's pet that broke free.

A Burmese python, which, as the name suggests, is native to Burma, is nocturnal and therefore is not likely to be spotted in the daytime. When the sun's out and the temperature's up, Clark said, it's probably hiding in some thick greenery. It may not even come out at night.

The snake, Clark said, might become aggressive if it's hungry, and a stray rabbit could become a meal if it crosses the snake's path. But, he noted, the snake can go many months without feeding. Dogs and cats don't have too much to worry about, he added.

Avondale officials have asked that anyone who sees the snake keep a safe distance and call 911 for help. Clark said residents shouldn't worry too much if the snake is not seen again, a strong possibility. That's because a Burmese python probably couldn't survive the cooler Georgia winter temperatures, so even if the snake makes it through the summer or fall, it likely wouldn't be around in the spring.

In an email, Avondale city manager Ron Rabun said he had hoped that the "unwanted exotic creature" could be removed, and "restore our sense of domestic tranquility." Clark, who works as a Clayton County Police officer and runs Southeastern Reptile Rescue as a separate family business, said he regularly picks up snakes, alligators and other reptiles. Some are taken to state parks, others are held for adoption and others are used for education and training programs. As for the Avondale snake, Clark added, "It's nothing people should have to change their lifestyle for."
Avondale snake sheds boa moniker

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