Large Snake Found In Cape Cod Closet

ORLEANS, MA — Police officers on Cape Cod were called to a residence to help remove an uninvited guest, but this wasn't a typical house call.

On Friday, Orleans police officers received a call from a resident that a "very large" snake was found in their closet.

Officials said the snake got into the home through the front door that was left open for the family dog.

Police believe the snake is a black racer, which isn't venomous but served as an "uninvited guest" nonetheless.

Officers were able to trap the snake in a cooler and released the non-venomous snake safely into the woods, police said.

According to the Savannah River Ecology Laboratory at the University of George, black racer snakes are found up and down the east coast from Southern Maine to the Florida Keys.

"Black racers are only active during the daytime and are most active in warm weather," the lab said in their species description. "At night and during cool weather they take refuge in burrows or under cover such as boards or tin."

As their name might suggest, racers are known to be faster than other snakes and use that to flee and even climb when approached.