Boa Constrictor Found Outside Tewksbury Hotel: Animal Control

TEWKSBURY, MA — Has your boa constrictor gone missing? If so, Billerica and Tewksbury Animal Control has a message for you.

"A domestic Boa Constrictor was found outside of the Extended Stay America Hotel, 1910 Andover St. in Tewksbury. If you're missing one, please contact AC 978-215-9639," animal control posted on Facebook.

The snake was found outside the hotel Sunday. It's about four years old and could have been on its own for months, MassLive reported. When animal control officers found it, they said it was extremely thin and appeared to have not been fed in months.

An animal control official said that the snake would have access to eat rodents in the wild, so the belief is that the pet was "more likely neglected and recently abandoned," according to MassLive.

Last month, another boa constrictor was spotted in the center of town in Lexington. It turned out the snake hadn't gone missing: its owner let it out for photos before bringing it home.

Boa constrictors are "not generally dangerous to people or pets," according to the Florida Museum of Natural History. They are not venomous but may bite to defend themselves. Larger boa constrictors have large, sharp teeth, and their bites can cause severe lacerations.

"Virtually all bites occur when the snakes are intentionally bothered," the museum noted.