08.23.2003 - I caught this Boa Constrictor here in Orlando Florida. An elderly couple called
me about a large snake in their garage. Usually, a large snake turns out to be a tiny three-foot imitation of a pencil. However, these folk weren't
kidding! When I showed up, sure enough, there was one large snake coiled up next to the lawn mower in the garage. I was actually confused about it at
first. I wasn't expecting to see a Boa Constrictor out and about, and since I don't have much experience with pet snakes, I didn't recognize it as a
boa at first. I was unable to identify it, and thought that it might be a very large version of a Brown Water Snake, which I'd read can grow to lengths
of six feet.
I treated the snake cautiously, and used my snake tongs to steer it into a snake sack, whereupon I prepared to relocate it to a wild lake
area. I was intrigued with my new catch, and took many a peek at it, and finally found that it was very docile and easy to handle. In fact, in the above
photo, I was still holding the snake with a degree of caution - it had in fact struck a few times, but probably because I wasn't gentle enough with
it. I soon found that it was very easy to handle and hold and I let it curl itself all around me.
After some online research, I discovered that it was
in fact a Boa Constrictor, or as some people call them, a Red-Tailed Boa. Once I knew this fact, I reconsidered my plan to relocate the snake. First
of all, the snake is not meant to live in the wilds of Orlando. These snakes are native to South and Central America. It might not survive well here,
or it might harm the native species. Secondly, the Florida Conservation Comission forbids the relocation of any non-indigenous species. So it'd be against
the law to relocate.
I certainly didn't want to harm this pretty creature, so I called around to various pet shops in an attempt to give the snake away,
but no one wanted it. I then found an organization here in Orlando called Snake Getters, and the agreed to take the snake. A nice man came and retrieved
it, and said that he will use it for breeding purposes.
Overall, I was pleased with the catch, and it was an exciting change from the usual smaller
snakes that I normally catch. My guess, of course, is that the snake either escaped captivity, or was purposefully released, because the owner didn't
want to take care of it any more. The latter option is an unfortunate byproduct of the exotic pet trade - they're fun and cute when they're babies,
and they they grow up and become a tiresome responsibility. I suppose that there's an off-chance that there's a breeding population of Boas here in
Orlando, but I highly doubt that, because I've seen no reports of this, and I don't think the climate is quite warm enough here.
Do it yourself: Visit my How To Get Rid of Snakes page for tips and advice.
Get professional help: Visit my Nationwide Pro Directory of wildlife removal experts.
For more wildlife stories, click my Wildlife Blog
or click my below banner to hire a local trapper.
Boa Constrictors are snakes of a considerable size. They are naturally docile, but when people come across them they create fear in their mind and make them freak out. If you happen to come across this snake in your home, you are most likely going to act the same way. Boa Constrictors are non-venomous snakes, but with their average weight and size of 27kg and 12 feet respectively, they can cause severe damage.
Have you found a Boa Constrictor in your home and you are looking for a way to get it out? Due to its large size, removing this snake all by yourself might be quite difficult. Also, the majority of snake removal devices might not be able to capture it. So, the best way to handle this situation is to hire a professional wildlife agent to come help you out. These professionals are in a better position to remove this large snake from your home.
But if you are not scared of snakes and you feel you can handle the situation, right here we will be giving you some quick steps on how to remove a Boa Constrictor from your home. With this, you will be able to handle the situation without endangering your life.
The first thing you need to understand about Boa Constrictors is that they don't have venom and will not strike unless they feel threatened. Having realized this, you need to try as much as possible not to make yourself look like a threat while trying to remove it from your home.
How to remove a Boa Constrictor from your property.
The best way to remove a snake this big from your property is to try to lead it into a large container and then enclose it. To do this, you will be needing a long stick which you can use to control its movement and direct it into the container. After collecting it in the container, you can then release it into the wild far away from your home.
Another way to remove Boa Constrictors in your property is to carefully place a big basket over the snake. But you need to make sure the basket you will be using is big enough to contain the snake. By subduing the snake, you will be able to buy yourself some time until you can hire a professional wildlife agent to help remove the snake.
Trapping a Boa Constrictor might be quite difficult to do because of its large size. If you will be using a snake trap, you have to get a big trap with abundant space. Without that in place, it will be difficult to use a snake trap to remove a Boa Constrictor.
To remove a Boa Constrictor with ease, the best thing you can do is to hire a wildlife removal professional. They are better at removing this kind of big snake and also, they will do it humanely without hurting the snake.
So if you reside in Orlando FL and you happen to find a Boa Constrictor in your house, wildlife removal professionals are all you need.