Construction workers digging a sewer line spotted a 10-foot-long Burmese python in the grass in New Jersey.
Paterson Animal Control officer Angel Rivera tells The Record newspaper the snake was probably a pet that the owner didn't want to take care of anymore.
The snake didn’t resist capture and appeared docile, Rivera told the paper.
Animal control turned the snake over to a retired biology teacher who operates a program for wayward pets. Gerald Zelenka of Clifton says it appears the snake will soon begin to shed its skin.
Zelenka told NBCNewYork.com that the snake wasn't venomous or dangerous, but "they'll give you a bite you won't enjoy, if you are bitten."
John DeCando, the chief animal control officer for Paterson, told the Record that the snake was lucky to be found.
“In another month, when the weather turns cooler, that snake would be dead,” he said. “Those guys in the construction crew saved the snake’s life by making the call.”
This python, though large, was small in comparison. Burmese pythons are capable of reaching 23-feet in length while weighing up to 200 pounds, according to National Geographic.
Paterson, N.J. is located about 15 miles west of New York City.
