Reptile & Amphibian Forums

BOSTON GLOBE (Massachusetts) 16 September 10 Man recoils after find: big snake in his home - Cambridge police remove 4-foot boa (L. Finch)
A Cambridge man received a slithering, scaly surprise Sunday morning when he discovered a 4-foot boa constrictor in his apartment, police said.
A landlord called police around 8:30 a.m. after her tenant discovered the heavy snake in his Sherman Street apartment, said Daniel Riviello, a spokesman for Cambridge police. The tenant told police that the red-tailed boa constrictor was not his and that he didn’t know how the creature managed to slink inside.
The man had left a window open in the first-floor apartment overnight, Riviello said.
“We have no idea how it got in,’’ said Riviello, who could not remember such a large snake ever being reported in Cambridge. “We’re assuming it crawled in through the window.’’
An animal control officer took the snake to the Massachusetts Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals’ care and adoption center in Boston, where the cold, hungry reptile was placed into foster care with a staff member, said Brian Adams, a spokesman for the MSPCA.
The animal was probably a pet that escaped from its owner, but it is unknown how long the snake was roaming Cambridge, Adams said. Boa constrictors are unable to regulate their body temperature, so the warm apartment probably seemed inviting, he said.
“Most likely what occurred is the snake escaped from an enclosure and made its way outdoors,’’ Adams said. “Then as the temperature cooled, she made her way to a heat source, in this case a home.’’
The snake will be monitored over the next few days to make sure it is healthy, Adams said. If an owner does not come forward, it will be placed for adoption in the coming weeks, he said.
Anyone with information is asked to contact the MSPCA at 617-522-5055.
Man recoils after find: big snake in his home

It is worrisome that so many escaped or released animals are making the news....this is going to bite the hobby right in the butt. It just fuels fearful people into overregulation.

It also astounds me that a four foot snake is "large" and "heavy".....poor baby. I think we need much more education of the public.
-----
Sonya

I'm not mean. You're just a sissy.
Happy Bunny

One tragic "large reptile found" story after another...
definitely is biting the hobby right in the butt.
-----
Matt Ciupak

>>One tragic "large reptile found" story after another...
>>definitely is biting the hobby right in the butt.
>>-----
>>Matt Ciupak

IMO, the real problem is ignorance and irrational snake phobia. Loose dogs run around all the time, and a dog is infinitely more dangerous than any non-venomous snake, much less a 4 foot boa. Yet a loose dog is a complete non-issue. And everyone needs to keep in mind that given the hysteria, it's not out of the question that unscrupulous, anti-exotic-animal-ownership groups like HSUS and PETA could take advantage of this by planting animals. Let's not blame anyone, especially pet owners, without proof!

Thanks,
Ed

>>>>One tragic "large reptile found" story after another...
>>>>definitely is biting the hobby right in the butt.
>>>>-----
>>>>Matt Ciupak
>>
>>IMO, the real problem is ignorance and irrational snake phobia. Loose dogs run around all the time, and a dog is infinitely more dangerous than any non-venomous snake, much less a 4 foot boa. Yet a loose dog is a complete non-issue. And everyone needs to keep in mind that given the hysteria, it's not out of the question that unscrupulous, anti-exotic-animal-ownership groups like HSUS and PETA could take advantage of this by planting animals. Let's not blame anyone, especially pet owners, without proof!
>>
>>Thanks,
>>Ed

I agree with you 110%, although I do also believe that it is completely wrong how anyone can go out and buy these exotic animals without doing any research or having any knowledge of them. Yes, people do overreact at times like this, but the snake shouldn't be loose in the first place.
-----
Matt Ciupak