NEWTON, MASS. (WHDH) - An 8-foot long pet Python has been reported missing in Newton, leaving residents of one neighborhood on edge.
Newton firefighters say they are on the hunt for a Burmese Python that is as thick as a human leg.
Officers say they received the report Wednesday evening after the owner said the snake slithered out of the backyard of their Jewett Street home. At that point, the snake had already been gone for a full day.
The news has inspired some amateur snake hunters looking catch a glimpse of the reptile.
“We just want to give back to the Garden City,” snake hunter Eli Beutel said. “Catch the snake, keep everybody safe.”
Experts say Burmese Pythons are not venomous but are known to bite.
They are also known to hunt small prey including small housecats and dogs.
“I’ll be definitely on the lookout. Hoping I don’t step on or run into anything when it gets a little darker out,” neighbor Domenic Fazio said. “Won’t want to be some Python’s meal. For sure.”
These snakes prefer warm areas, including the spaces near a home’s foundation or porch.
Anyone who spots the snake is warned not to approach it.
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