Caruthersville police say missing python has been found - KFVS12 News & Weather Cape Girardeau, Carbondale, Poplar Bluff

A missing green non-venomous boa constrictor has been found in Caruthersville.

According to the chief of police, the snake was found in a laundry room of the home by a child.

It won't stay long. The reptile is going to a place in St. Louis that takes snakes. 

A man who went to his garden a week ago Thursday to pick cucumbers picked up quite a surprise when he found a python snake.

The python is just one of two snakes to escape a home with six exotic reptiles. One of those, a 7 to 8 ft black and green non-venomous boa constrictor, was still on the loose last Friday morning.

"I live about a block from here, and I'm afraid it might come to my house, and I'm scared of snakes," said Thacker.

"Make sure to look around because a snake is going to find somewhere to hide, and it's probably somewhere close still," said Jones.

"I am worried about it because there's a lot of little kids that walk around this area, yeah I'd be worried about it," said Self.

"I think that they should catch it, and it's scary," said Grissom.

"I hope they catch him," said Thacker.

But Freddie Joe Self of Caruthersville said already came too close to a snake on the loose when he thought he was picking a cucumber, but instead found a python.

"I see something white and yellow, thought it might be a cucumber," said Self. "I was reaching right down in here to look at some of my cucumbers, that grows up in these baskets, and he was laying right down here in these baskets."

Instead of a cucumber, he saw a 6 to 7 ft. albino python snake.

"It started moving and I said that ain't no cucumber," said Self. "I took the hoe and tried to drag him out of my vines, and when I did, he started biting at me."

Self said he hit the snake with a hoe in self defense.

"It scared me when it started biting at me, chasing at me, running at me cause I can't run to get away from something like that," said Self.

Self called police, and they picked up the snake at the Laurant street address. Police say the albino snake is fine.

Caruthersville police took four other exotic reptiles from the nearby house on Grand street where the snake escaped. They found two smaller boa constrictor snakes, and two small alligators.

The man who lives at that home said someone must have moved a board to let the snakes out, because he said they could not have escaped on their own.

He said even with kids in the home, he said he never felt they were unsafe. And, he said he thinks stores should make sure someone has a permit before selling this type of animal.

Caruthersville Police Chief Tony Jones said the owner will face misdemeanor charges since he didn't have a permit for the reptiles, or proper insurance. Jones said there's a city ordinance against anyone owning an exotic animal.

"I don't know why anyone would want to keep stuff like that, a snakes not a pet, I don't think," said Billy Thacker of Caruthersville.

"I think it's kind of awkward that they have them in their house," said 10-year-old Abigail Grissom.

While some people in Caruthersville said they're hoping to find the loose snake, Self said he hopes he doesn't.

"I'll be very careful looking in my garden anymore," said Self.

Copyright 2012 KFVS. All rights reserved.