Niagara police are investigating reports of a loose ball python snake in Beamsville, Ontario.
The snake was last spotted near the Ashby and Hillside Drive area in Beamsville on Sunday at 12:36pm. It is approximately three to five feet long with black and brown scales. The owner of the snake is currently unknown. It is thought to be a pet that has escaped or was set free. Ball pythons are native to West and Central Africa, but are popular as pets.
“Ball pythons are not necessarily harmful or dangerous. They can bite, but it’s just pinpricks. They don’t constrict. They eat mice and other small rodents,” said Kevin Strooband, Executive Director of the Lincoln County Humane Society.
The name “ball python” refers to the snake’s tendency to curl into a ball when it is stressed. So it’s sometimes very difficult to notice when it’s laying in the grass.
“One of the easiest ways to make sure the snake doesn’t get away if you find it, is to put a blue box or a gray box overtop of it, until we can get there to take care of it,” said John Greer, Executive Director of the Niagara SPCA and Humane Society.
If you see the snake, contact the Welland and District Humane Society immediately at 905-735-1552.
