This snake escaped and decided to climb to the roof. Thankfully it was captured and returned to its enclosure.
The Barron County Sheriff’s Department in Cheek, Wisconsin received a call about a large snake that was on the roof of home. The boa constrictor (Boa constrictor sp.), reported to be 14 feet in length, escaped its enclosure and made its way onto the roof of the home. When Sheriff’s Capt. Jason Hagen arrived he came equipped with a pole used to hang lights and a ladder. Hagen then climbed the ladder, and after some initial resistance, (the snake got wedged in the rain gutter), Hagen was able to bring the pet snake down.
Boa constrictors are very popular with reptile keepers. Photo by fivespots/Shutterstock
“It was just over 14 feet, and it was really heavy,” Barron County Sheriff Chris Fitzgerald told the Star Tribune. According to the Tribune, Fitzgerald supervised from across the street, well away from the large constricting snake. “I said, I’m fine way over here.” The time from sheriff’s arrival to the capture of the reptile took about an hour.
Fitzgerald told the Star Tribune that Hagen was the right officer for the job as he had kept snakes when he was young. The snake was then returned to its enclosure. And hopefully the keeper secures it so it doesn’t wander on the roof again.
Boa constrictors are one of the most popular larger snakes in the hobby. Females usually reaching about 6 to 8 feet in length but are known to grow larger. Males are smaller. They live about 20 to 30 years in captivity and need large enclosures. These snakes are widely captive bred and there are nine known subspecies.
