Crews from the Northern Colorado Herpetological Society (NCHS) responded to the scene of a private residence in Fort Collins last Saturday, after receiving reports that a large snake was slithering through the front yard.

The snake turned out to be a boa constrictor, a species of large, non-venomous snakes that are often kept as pets.

“She was brought in and given a veterinary checkup upon arrival, where we found old burn scars (healed), cleaned out her mouth, and helped with some stuck shed. We are currently monitoring her breathing for signs of upper respiratory infection,” NCHS said in a Facebook post.

The female snake was determined to be 16 pounds and 5 and a half feet long. The boa was decided to most definitely be a lost pet, since the species cannot naturally survive in Colorado. 

In the wild, boa constrictors typically live in warm climates. They can live to be about 30-years-old and can reach up to 13 feet in length. 

On Tuesday, the society announced that the snake’s owner was located.

Curious about how Colorado might fare with the spread of another big snake? Read about pythons here.

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