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Massive Boa Constrictor Discovered in Illinois Bush Week After Python Found Nearby

With a massive boa constrictor found one week and a python the next in the bush, one Illinois town could be in the running for the title of “Loose Pet Snake Captial Of The United States.”

Newsweek reported on one Niles, Illinois boa constrictor. A landscaper found the snake in a bush outside the home of his customer.

Next, the police department got involved, and one area snake expert said it was someone’s pet snake.

This snake discovery comes a week after a woman discovered a python under her car 30 miles away.

Boa Constrictor Blues In Niles

The Niles Police Department was quick to post on Facebook to find the reptile’s owner.

Officer Stephanie Hofer, a police spokesperson, told Newsweek they had no answers over the boa constrictor’s discovery.

“The snake was brought to the Niles Police Department by the person who found it,” Hofer told Newsweek. “We do not know the temperament of the snake. The snake was taken to a local caretaker before going to the reptile facility.”

Police forwarded the snake to a local reptile caretaker.

CBS 2 reported that snake expert Sara Ruane of the Field Museum identified the snake as a Boa Constrictor and determined that it was someone’s pet.

An Argentine Boa Constrictor?

Residents went on the police department’s social media to guess that this boa constrictor was an Argentine version of the snake. The social media folks wanted it, claiming that the particular snake sells for hundreds of dollars.

Snake seller Morph Market sells the snake starting at $850, and some go for thousands.

The Argentine boa is a heavy-bodied boa that can grow to between six and 10 feet long. Boa constrictors are nonvenomous and are native to central and South America. Some boas can weigh more than 100 pounds, growing longer than 13 feet.

The snake is a strong swimmer and likes to live on dry land in hollow logs and burrows. They suffocate prey by wrapping around it and eating anything they can catch, like birds, monkeys, and pigs.

Boa Constrictors And Pythons Oh My

A week ago, CBS 2 reported on a woman’s find at Herrick Lake Forest Preserve. The woman found the snake under her car, and Dupage Forest Preserve Police posted a picture of it on Facebook.

“Came across this ball python at Herrick Lake today!” a Facebook post published by the Dupage Forest Preserve Police read. “A reminder not to release your pets or wildlife into the forest preserves. It’s not only unlikely they will survive but also unlawful.”

The same snake expert weighed in on the python, saying this snake was shy around humans and would attack if aggravated. Ruane took it further to comfort Illinois residents. She said the snakes wouldn’t breed like mad or become established in the community.