What the heck are you feeding him my word what a fat snake????not sure dont think its copperhead.

Holy cow!! I don't have a clue. I'd still be running if it were in my yard!

How beautiful! And how privileged you are to have seen it, Carol!

Can you give us some more details, such as length, appearance of head and tail, habitat where found etc.?

My son wondered if it could possibly be someone's exotic pet snake that escaped.

Of course my husband was the one who found the snake, by almost stepping on it. It was a lovely autumn day and he'd FINALLY agreed to take a walk around the property with me. I don't think he'll be taking another walk with me any time soon!

I search every website I could find, trying to id it. Doesn't match any pictures of native PA snakes I've come across. I thought it could be a pet boa constrictor, but it doesn't match those pictures either.

It was found by a small, seasonally wet ravine, in an area of pasture land and deciduous forest, with rocky cliffs nearby. We've been having a drought, but had several days of soaking rain that might have driven it out of it's hidey-hole. I didn't disturb it, so I don't know how long it was, but the girth was about 8 inches. I held my hand near it (sort of) to get an idea of the girth, and then measured my hand with a flexible ruler. The head wasn't visible, but you can see that the belly gets pale.

I hope it's not a tropical exotic, our winters get really cold.

I'm no snake expert...but it looks like a Ball Python to me. They curl themselves up into a ball when threatened. THe link below is an article about ball pythons, and then the other link is a good picture of one I found on another website.

http://exoticpets.about.com/cs/pythons/a/ballpythons.htm

Here is a link that might be useful: {{gwi:47439}}

Thats what it looks like to me. My buddy had a Ball Python and it looked just like that.

That is a ball python. I have two of them here in my livingroom. And I doubt that it will survive a Pennsylvania winter. Even inside of the house we provide extra heat for ours.
It looks like it has done well for itself. Nice and fat! It is most definetly feral to P.A. Must have gotten away from it's owner.
I'm in NE Ohio, let me know if my hubby can come and try to find it again. He would love to have another one, and it will be a good story to tell.
Ball Pythons are docile and make pretty good pets.
Carrie

If I spot it again, how do I catch it? Grab it behind the head? Or do I hold it down with a stick first, like they do on TV? Should I wear gloves? I don't have any experience with snakes. Will it try to constrict around me, or are they biters?

We spotted it near the overflow pipe from our pond, which is about 15 feet underground in some spots, well below the frost line. Could it survive the winter in there?

Now I'm worried about the durn thing.

Hi Carol,
Yes, a ball python. We have a large female. The snake cannot regulate its temp on its own, so it will most likely die in cold weather outside. They can bite, but they're more on the docile side. It may be someone's lost pet. You can grab it behind the head and support the rest of the body. It would need a heat lamp indoors. You can call any petshop for specifics. If you can contain it, I could come get it and give it a home, if you'd like.

Get a large pillowcase, or a sack of some kind, and put him in that. Contact state Fish and Game.

Thanks for the info, everyone. We're getting in touch with a local pet store that specializes in reptiles, to see if they know anyone who has lost the snake. If I see it again, I'm going to try to capture it. Will it most likely curl up into a ball, or try to slither away? Would it be better for me to try to move it into a bag (gently) with a plastic snow shovel, since I'm inexperienced? Or is grabbing it the way to go?

Dicentra, if I do catch it and can't find the owner, I'd be more than happy to give it to you.

Don't try to grab it straight away, it may either get away from you or try to bite, so approach slowly and cautiously. They're very calm and nice-tempered pets, but you don't know how long this one has been living on it's own, so consider it wild. If I were you I'd go after it wearing suede or thin leather gloves and try to tackle it inside a blanket if it makes a run for it. Most likely, it will curl up into a ball if it's cornered, but maybe not if it sees an escape route.

They like the dark and close-fitting spaces, it's their nature to like a little cubby hole or cave to hole up in when they're kept as pets. For that reason, you can keep it in a large covered tupperware or rubbermaid-type tub and it should feel fairly safe and secure there until you can transport it elsewhere. If you're going to go the snow-shovel route, the tub would be easier to shovel into than a bag. Once you have the snake, some air holes in the tub are in order.

Will do, I'll approach it slowly and quietly. When we saw it on Saturday, it was balled up and absolutely motionless, perhaps because of the temperature? Cold makes them move slowly, right?

When my husband heard it was a tropical snake and possibly suffering from the cold, he overcame his fear and went out searching for it (he's such a NICE guy). He couldn't find it, but thinks it might be under a brush pile in that area. Unfortunately I don't get home from work until after dark, but I'm going to get up early tomorrow morning to look for it.

Awww what a nice guy your husband is! The above posters are right, it will most likely curl into a ball and just lay there. Be sure to support it's weight in your hands. I very much doubt that it will strike at you. Even if it doesn't curl up by moving slow you should be ok. If it does anything it will probably try to move away from you. Just support it's weight when you pick it up so it feels secure. No, it's not likely that it will constrict around you...except for added support.
They are good snakes for beginners because they are docile.
Best time to look for it is when it's sunny. It will be soaking up the sun for warmth and to aid in digestion. Check the spot where you saw it before about the same time of day if possible.
Pillowcases are a good way to transport them. Tie it shut. If your concerned about being bit, as suggested use gloves.
You shouldn't have a problem finding people willing to help you find him again. The pet shop might know of someone. Or you could call N.O.A.H. It's a reptile club. Northeastern Ohio Herpitalogical. Can't remember what the A stands for. My husband was a member for years.
Anyway keep us updated. What an interesting thing for you to find and share with the group!
Carrie

No luck finding Hissy this morning. I got up early and searched the ravine thoroughly, poking carefully under rocks, looking up the drainpipe with a flashlight, moving tall grasses aside, looking in the trees.

So I filled a hot water bottle, wrapped it several times with a bath towel, and put it on the ground right near where we saw it. Maybe the warmth will help it survive until we find it again.

How do low temperatures kill a snake? Native snakes hibernate, right?

Native snakes hibernate underground, some in burrows that are several feet deep. The temperature down there is 55 to 60°F give or take. Even if a native snake is kept as a pet indoors, it may behave like it's hibernating during the shorter daylight hours of winter by being far less active and eating less as well.

The Ball Python is native to central and western Africa (where it's hot and dry, not humid) and spends most of its time in trees or on the ground. It's not suited to hibernating in damp, cold ground - high humidity can lead to bacterial infections of the skin. That's what I'm worried about more than the cold, plus mites and ticks, since a BP that fat could go a long time without food; a healthy BP can actually survive up to a year without eating.

In captivity, BPs are kept at between 80 to 85°F, with a warmer spot at 90°F during the day, and down to 73 to 75°F with a basking spot at 80°F at night. Having the basking spot allows them to move to that spot at will to warm up more. Maybe the place to look for the snake is up in a tree in a sunny spot? It will be looking for warm sun, not shade, and possibly a place out of reach of predators. Cold effects their mobility though, the colder it is the less able they are to move. Still, it may have climbed a tree if there's been any warm weather since you first saw it.

Keep us posted. You have definatley spiked my interest in this thread. How funny will it be if you find it, and give it to someone on the forum? Too funny. Good luck searching.

Oh, now I'm worried about the poor thing!I hope you can find it and spare it!

I didn't search for it this morning, since the weather was cold and drizzly and I figured the snake would be hiding. We've got rain forecast for the weekend, too, but I'm going to search high and low anyway. I'm trying to keep in mind that the snake looked very healthy and fat when we saw it, and hopefully will be fine as long as we find it before winter.

A strange thing: I just read a news item about a 4-foot-long ball python that was found yesterday at a school about 20 miles from my house. Could ball pythons be dropping from the skies??

Could ball pythons be dropping from the skies??

No, but they might be dropping from SUVs. Sometimes when owners get bored with them or if they get to be too much to handle, people just dump them instead of finding homes for them or giving them to rescue operations.

They're also pretty good escape artists. I lost a pet snake in the house and never found it. I suspect it found its way outdoors.

SUVs... or CARS... don't knock on people who drive SUVs. HALF joking of course.

I found it!!!

This morning after mucking the barn, I decided to take another look on the way into the house. There it was coiled up very close to where we originally saw it. I couldn't believe my eyes, and RAN to the house to grab gloves.

I was nervous about picking it up, but the 47 degree weather must have made it sluggish because I was able to slide my hands underneath it and put it into a styrofoam cooler without it uncoiling or even moving.

We've got it in the bathroom now, in the lidless cooler, with every light in the room on to add some warm. It's moving a little bit now and looking around. We're going to put on a heat lamp in the room tonight (where it can't get to it) per the vet's instructions. And I've messaged the poster who said she might be able to take it.

This story could actually have a happy ending!

Woo Hoo!! Good job. I'm sure you won't have any trouble finding a good home for such a beauty.

Can you take another photo?One so we can see how big and see his face?

What a beautiful Ball Python you have there! It looks well cared for, not skinny at all. It even looks like it's ex-owner may have polished it. It's a very pretty snake. I'm SO glad you found it! Please be careful who you give it to. And please don't call any state agencies about it. They will most likely have it destroyed. OR you could keep it! There's tons of info on how to care for them. Sounds like you're doing a great job, so far. One thing to think about, depending on how long you keep it. When it sheds it's skin, the "skin" over the eyes is shed also. It will look like it's gone blind and developed a sort of "plastic" cover over it's eyes. Nothing is wrong with it. It is blinded for a time, but it will soon shed and will be able to see again. When it's shedding and the eyes look this way, you should give it lots of warning that you are present and that you are about to touch it. If it's hungry, it may bite, but only because it thinks your hands and fingers are food. As soon as it realizes this is not food it will let go. The bite is harmless and doesn't hurt much at all. It's "teeth" are not like most snakes. They are tiny, almost hair like, more rigid than cartilage in our own bodies and they are used only for striking and holding their prey before they constrict. My husband didn't let ours know he was coming when he approached her terrarium while she was shedding and was quite blind at the time. She "bit" the soft area between his thumb and forefinger and then let go quickly. He had a perfect outline of her "teeth" on either side of his hand. He washed the bite with hot water and soap and then used peroxide and Neosporin on it. He said it didn't hurt and it had only punctured the skin. So no worries about that!
I'm like everyone else here. I'd like to hear more about her and where she goes to live.
Best of luck!

What a great story. How are your husband and "Hissy" getting along sharing the bathroom? ;-)

Kudos to you and your husband for rescuing him/her in spite of being scared to death...I would have freaked finding THAT in my yard.

Fantastic! That's one lucky snake, having you to be the one who found it!

Oh, how cool! that is so neat! Reminds me of the time we found a conyer (small parrot), it flew over and almost landed on my head! scared me to death. When it flew to a near by tree I went to talk to it and it inched its way to me then my husband climbed a little closer to it and came right to him, my husband kind of clamped down on his foot so it would not fly away then it clamped down on his finger and drew blood! We kept him for a while but he was very noisy and not well suited for our small house,He lived on my screened in porch till it got too cold for him to stay out there, so we gave him to my aunt who always wanted one. She had him several years, till he unexpectedly died.

I am glad to hear that you saved it and now it will have a new home. I respect snakes and appreciate their roles in nature, I won't tolerate a poison one on my property. My grandfather and grandmother both have been snakebit about 17 years apart, my grandfather stuck his hand under an old combine (real smart) and pulled out a copperhead on his finger. My grandmother got bit on the foot by another copperhead walking through her garden. They both recovered well. My Grandfather was more affected as the poison had a direct route to his heart and he almost lost his hand, he did almost completely lose the use of the finger, he never could bend it more than just a little bit after that.

My uncle was eleven when he stuck his arm down an armadillo hole and pulled out a huge rattle snake. He almost died, my great grandmother- his grandmother was there and grabbed a knife and sliced through the palm of his hand to let the poison bleed out and in doing so she almost let him bleed to death and crippled his right hand in doing so. It never grew any bigger stayed curled up almost in a fist and he completely lost the use of the whole thing except he learned to do stuff with his curled pinky. But who knows she may have saved his life? It is good to respect a snake.

I would not want to keep it myself, but would be glad that someone wanted to take it and keep it safe. One like that would be a huge responsibility.

My suggestion is- no matter what don't return it to the original owner if they turn up. Letting it go/losing a snake like that is such an irresponsible act.

Now that this snake is warm it will become very active! They can fit into any crevace. It's just amazing where they will squeeze through. I'd reccomend not keeping it as the big snakes need specific enclosures, food (rats/bunnies) and care and it's better to learn before getting it than learning the hard way- after.
Good on you for catching it, a good deed many wouldn't do.

Hissy continues to do well. He spent yesterday afternoon slithering around the bathroom, climbing up the walls, "sniffing" everything with his tongue (we cleared the room out, of course). Right now he's coiled up behind the faucet.

He's 44 inches long! At one point, he was stretched out almost straight along the back edge of the bathtub, and we were able to gauge his length by counting the number to tiles behind him (eleven 4-inch wide tiles). He doesn't seem aggressive at all.

My husband is doing well with this, he doesn't seem afraid anymore. It really had been a learning experience for us both... I didn't realize, for example, that snakes produce such large droppings! I'll post updated photos tomorrow, from work where the upload speed is faster.

We're going to proceed slowly and carefully to find Hissy a good new responsible home. Good thing this house has two bathrooms.

So glad that Hissy has found a good temporary home. I've always loved snakes and have had them as pets since I was a child. Later, when I was in grad school and living in an apartment just off campus, my much younger brother brought a rat snake home from scout camp. Unfortunately, my father, who was terrified of snakes, announced that either the snake went or he would go, so naturally I took him off my brother's hands and installed him in a nice herpetarium in my apartment (at which point I discovered just who my friends were and weren't!) Kaa (as I named him, from Kipling of course) stayed with me until I had to move to another location, at which point I found a new home for him.I would love to have a snake pet again, but now I'm in a New York City apartment and haven't the room it would need. I'm hoping that Hissy will find a wonderful new home. Thanks to you for being so kind in rescuing him even though you weren't familiar with snakes!

At 44" s/he may be a full grown adult and probably won't get much larger. Rats and mice (called 'feeders', the tiny snack size are called 'pinkies') can be purchased cheaply at pet stores and you can also buy frozen food. This snake will never grow to a size requiring chickens or rabbits. In fact, even adult mice and rats could harm it by biting it, so you'd actually want to avoid handling live foods for the snake's benefit, not just your own. He can settle in for at least a week or two before you consider feeding him, even longer.

Did you know they can live 25 years or more? It sounds like you got all the information you need from a vet, but in case you plan to keep Hissy around for a while, there's a link below to their basic husbandry.

Here is a link that might be useful: Ball Python Guide

It looks like the snake (christened "Mr. Ballston" by my hubby) has a new home already!

We mentioned the snake to the local feed store owner during a delivery on Saturday, and she said her son has reptiles and might be interested. They just called and will be picking up the snake tomorrow evening. My husband and I have met the son several times and he seems responsible and reliable, so I feel comfortable about the quality of care he'll provide.

Thanks, everyone, for sharing such helpful information. Things would never have turned out so well for this animal without your help and expertise (and thanks to Gardenweb!).

What a great story, and what a great thing you did! Kudos to you!

Here he is, you can see his pretty face:

{{gwi:47441}}

Oh... I get the chills every time I see a snake, and this is no exception! (S)he is beautiful, though. Hysterical story!

Very cool adventure with a happy ending! Good on you, your hubby and Mr. Ballstone!
Carrie

One final update... the kid (young man, really) and his mother came last night to pick up the snake. When he saw it, his first words where "Aww, he's cold", and he handled the snake gently and carefully while bagging it up.

I feel good about the snake's new home.

Oh, I love happy endings!

Someones pet ball python needs to be at a refuge