Authorities are trying to find the owner of a large snake that was found slithering through a Northwest Miami-Dade neighborhood Wednesday morning.
The rare, five and a half foot rare Dumeril's Boa was found in the 3100 block of Northwest 16th Street.
Handlers were able to quickly catch the snake, but now they're trying to determine its owner.
Officials said it's common at this time of year for snakes to come out. They usually hide in dry weather but come out in the dark in rainy weather looking for food and water.
"They're not usually this nice,” said Lt. Lisa Wood with the Miami-Dade Anti-Venom Unit. "It is very even-tempered for a Dumerils."
Wood examined the snake for a chip to try to find its owner, but said there was no identification. She said it's likely someone's pet, since it's so friendly, but that the snake shouldn't be handled lightly.
"She could do some damage," Wood said. "She's got a lot of teeth in that mouth. She's strong enough to give you a good squeeze."
They were lucky the snake was caught before it caused any harm, Wood said.
"This is a an example of pets getting away from people or people releasing them into the wild," Wood said. "And it's not fair to the pet and this animal could pose a threat to somebody if she was handled roughly she might become defensive and actually bite."
The Anti-venom unit will hold onto the snake for now to see if someone comes forward to claim it. If not, they will use it for educational purposes, Wood said.
