An 11-foot-long Colombian red-tailed boa constrictor has escaped from a home in Van Buren County where its owner kept it as a pet, the Arkansas Game and Fish Commission said.
The agency said in a statement that the snake's owner alerted officials on Thursday that the snake got loose and was last seen shortly before dark on Wednesday on Banner Mountain Road near Shirley. A search in the area is ongoing.
“Based on information provided by the snake’s owner, it is used to being around people and is not aggressive, but it needs to be left alone,” Game and Fish herpetologist Kelly Irwin said.
Boa constrictors are nonvenomous and kill their prey by squeezing, the statement said.
Anyone who spots the loose snake is asked to call (800) 482-9262.