A baby ball python is now residing in a sanctuary in Brunswick after being captured in Orrington — twice.
A man from Orrington found the baby ball python slithering through his yard Monday afternoon and attempted to capture it, according to Mason Pellerin, an adoption coordinator at HerpHaven.
The man successfully wrangled the foot-long snake into a plastic tub and brought it into his house but didn’t put a lid on the tub, letting the snake escape into his home. After the snake got loose in his house, the man called Game Warden Jonathan Parker to help corral the snake.
Parker found the harmless python in a cabinet and scooped it into a pillowcase. With the snake under control, Parker brought it to HerpHaven Reptile Rescue and Sanctuary in Brunswick.
Pellerin is now caring for the snake that he says is 1 to 2 months old.
Parker could not immediately be reached.
The python was lucky to be found because the species, which is native to Africa, can only survive temperatures above 60 degrees, Pellerin said.
“If that man hadn’t helped this baby, despite his fear, it likely wouldn’t have survived,” Pellerin said.
Ball pythons are non-venomous constrictors, Pellerin said. They are popular snakes to have as pets because they’re docile, slow moving, sweet and generally reach a length of 3 to 5 feet, Pellerin said.
Because this python isn’t native to Maine, it is being held as a stray domestic animal at the sanctuary for three days to allow the owner to claim it.
After three days, the snake will belong to the sanctuary and be fostered until it goes up for adoption along with the multiple other snakes HerpHaven has up for adoption.
