UPDATE: Giant snake found in U.P. garage

UPDATE — Friday, August 19th, 2016 1:00 p.m. EDT — Local resident, Steve Tegge got a big surprise in his barn Wednesday night, when he found a six foot boa constrictor on one of the shelves.

While most people would run in fear, this man brought it to the Upper Peninsula Animal Welfare Shelter. Although boas are not native to the Upper Peninsula, it is believed that this one was a pet that got loose.

“We don’t see any reptiles anytime usually but especially not snakes, they are our least uncommon reptile. We maybe see two or three of them a year, if we’re lucky,” said UPAWS Animal Caretaker, Sierra Banse.

Despite the rare appearance of boas at the UPAWS location in Negaunee, animal caretakers have much experience in reptile care and are well equipped to take care of this easy going animal.

“Snakes are actually very low maintenance, a lot of people don’t realize that especially as big as the one that we have now. When she gets to be this large, she only needs to eat every two to three weeks, a well sized rate is good enough. Other than that, they don’t require much care other than cleaning,” Banse continued.

The boa is currently being considered a stray and if not claimed within the next couples weeks, necessary doctor visits will be made and it will be put up for adoption. UPAWS employees advise anyone who may find a boa in their residence to call animal control and let them bring in the snake.

They did also want to remind the public that these snakes are not commonly found in the U.P. but if ever found, they are just a pet that slithered away from home. If this boa happens to look familiar to you, you can either stop by the UPAWS location in Negaunee or give them a call.

MARQUETTE — A giant snake, presumably someone’s lost pet, was found by maintenance crews at Tourville Apartments Thursday.

“I found something had fallen off the shelf and when I went to put it all back I found it curled up on a 10 foot shelf. [I] grabbed its tail and a head popped up, I was like ‘Oh, it’s real!’ Boa I think,” said Steve Tegge, who discovered the large snake in a storage garage.

“Hopefully they find a nice home for it. It seemed harmless,” said Tegge.

These types of snakes are not native to the area, but can flourish in a wide variety of environmental conditions, from tropical rainforests to arid semidesert country. However, it prefers to live in rainforest due to the humidity and temperature, natural cover from predators, and vast amount of potential prey.

It is commonly found in or along rivers and streams, as it is a very capable swimmer. Boa constrictors also occupy the burrows of medium-sized mammals, where they can hide from potential predators.

The stray boa constrictor was taken to Upper Peninsula Animal Welfare Shelter. We’ll have more on this story Friday on ABC10 & CW5 UP. Call UPAWS at 906-475-6661 if you know who this snake belongs to.