We now know more about an eight foot boa constrictor that escaped two weeks ago in Quincy.
We first told you about this Monday night.
The owner of the snake reported to Quincy Police Monday that the reptile has been missing for two weeks.
The owner searched his house, garage, and back yard, but has found nothing.
We looked into the situation a little deeper in this KHQA Fact Finder report.
The immediate area in question is 24th and Payson Avenue in Quincy. But that doesn't mean it's the only place in town people should be concerned about.
"We think it wouldn't get far, but we've checked the area and came up with nothing. We've checked under decks and shrubs. We've checked the manholes in the area, and we're not coming up with anything," Steve Scherer.
Animal Control Officer Steve Scherer tells me he thinks the snake is either holed up really close to the house, or it's gotten curious and wondered off...perhaps crossing the street onto the Quincy Country Club Golf Course. He says a golf course would be a good habitat for a snake. There's water to drink, wildlife to eat, and plenty of shelter.
"The boa constrictor sits and waits for prey to come to it. Then it constricts the prey," says Sherer.
Keep in mind a boa constrictor can bite, but it is not poisonous. And typically, it won't strike unless it's provoked.
If you're looking for some good news here, I'm told the snake should be pretty docile because the owner bought it as a baby, and it's now five years old. It's used to being around humans, but that doesn't mean you need to be around it.
How worried should people be that there is a boa constrictor on the loose?
"Really they should be as worried as if a dog is loose. We don't expect the snake to be aggressive in any way, but it is a snake," says Sherer.
"You want to keep an eye out for your small children and small pets, especially ones set outside on a cable," says Sherer.
"Do not approach the snake. Call us immediately. We'll respond 24/7. If you can, from a safe distance, keep an eye on it," says Sherer.
A boa constrictor could climb a small tree, but because of its size, it probably wouldn't. Another interesting fact, a boa only eats about once a month. Steve Sherer says he believes it was fed shortly before it disappeared.
KHQA also checked on the legality of owning a pet snake in the city limits of Quincy.
If a snake is longer than six feet, you have to have a permit to keep it.
And if it ever escapes, you have to let the police know right away.
The owner of this snake did neither, and was ticketed on both issues.
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