Reports Of 'Escaped' Snake In Lexington A Misunderstanding: Police

LEXINGTON, MA — Reports of a boa constrictor on the loose and slithering around Lexington were a "misunderstanding," Lexington police said in a series of tweets Thursday afternoon.

Police initially said Wednesday that a resident spotted the creature behind the CVS in the town center and reported it to animal control. At the time, police shared a photo of the snake with a warning to avoid approaching it, writing that it "appears to be a pet that has either escaped or [been] released."

In reality, the photo showed a pet snake that was photographed while it was in the area with its owner Sunday, according to police.

"[The owner was] showing the snake to people and put it down on the ground and allowed people to view it and take photos," police said on X, formerly known as Twitter, on Thursday.

"A set of photos was involved in a text chain among Lexington youths," police added. "A concerned parent saw the photos, mistakenly thought it was roaming the area freely, and contacted the Lexington animal control officer. It was confirmed the snake was taken away by the owner at the time of the photos."

As a result of the 'snake on the loose' report to animal control, experts from Mass Wildlife and an animal control officer were sent out to search for the snake Thursday, police said.

After sharing news of the misunderstanding, Lexington police wrote that they "would like to thank the community for its attention to the matter and sharing possible tips regarding the incident."

"The owner of the snake has not been identified and is encouraged to contact the Lexington animal control officer," police added.

According to the Smithsonian’s National Zoo & Conservation Biology Institute, boa constrictors are nonvenomous snakes found in Central and South America. Using constriction as a form of predation, boa constrictors wrap their body around their prey and squeeze just enough to cause a “circulatory arrest” by cutting off the ability of the heart to pump blood in and out, the Smithsonian said.

While many people are afraid of boa constrictors, there are very few cases of them attacking humans, according to the Smithsonian.