STARKVILLE — Animal control officers continued searching a residential neighborhood in north Starkville this morning for a boa constrictor that has gone missing from a local residence.
It is seven-feet long.
It was reported missing in mid-March. Its owner told officials it went missing from a home in the 500 block of West Garrard Road.
It is a Red Tail Boa, a species the Smithsonian National Zoological Park website says eats larges lizards, birds, opossums, bats, rats and squirrels.
Animal control officers in Starkville ask residents in the area to keep watch over their small pets and children.
The Starkville Police Department issued a press release about the missing reptile Wednesday afternoon. The department said animal control officers have patrolled the West Garrard Road area daily, looking for the snake under houses, in sheds and holes in the ground, around brush piles, in wooded areas and in trees.
“We have spoken to several residents and answered several questions of concerned citizens,” the SPD release states.
SPD asks residents in the area to remain vigilant and be on the lookout for the snake.
“And remind your children to stay away from snakes,” the release states.
If you see a snake matching the description of the escaped pet, call the animal control office during business hours at 662-769-2728 or SPD at 662-323-4131 after 5 p.m.
Carl Smith covers Starkville and Oktibbeha County for The Dispatch. Follow him on Twitter @StarkDispatch
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