iStockphoto / LWOPhotography
Florida is home to 44 native species of snake (6 are venomous) thanks to the Tropical and Humid Subtropical climate that is a perfect breeding ground for snakes.
There are also many invasive species in the sunshine state, like the Burmese Python, that is proliferating in the Florida Everglades and slowly moving North into the rest of the state. A non-native species that thrive in the Florida climate is the Boa Constrictor.
Tobie’s Troop is a team in South Florida that works with, rescues, and cares for exotic animals. They do venomous snake capture and relocation in South Florida. Tobie’s Troop also shares videos of their exotic animal adventures on YouTube like the albino boa constrictor encounter below.
They received a call about an enormous boa constrictor living in someone’s backyard in South Florida. Upon arrival, they found what they described as the ‘fattest boa constrictor ever’. This video of the snake’s capture is nothing short of wild:
One of the team members said “he’s so fat he can’t get away” while another added they “didn’t think it was real” because the snake was so plump. The Miami Herald reports the snake was found near Naples which sets on the edge of the Florida Everglades.
On Instagram, Taylor (of Tobie’s Troop) says this albino boa constrictor was an estimated 9.5-feet long and weighed 52.6 pounds:
Without having concrete confirmation from the snake’s previous owner we cannot say for certain this was a pet. But the chances that this albino boa was a pet are close to 99.999%.
Firstly, this is a non-native species in Florida and one that isn’t rapidly multiplying. Secondly, albino specimens rarely survive in the wild. Without natural camouflage, they are easily identified by predators. It’s almost unthinkable that an albino snake would reach this size in the wild without being eaten.
Lastly, albino boa constrictors are very popular pets. It’s almost certain this snake was released into the wild by someone unable to care for it or it escaped and someone is out there looking for it.
Where they found this snake isn’t all that far from my house, from where I’m writing this article right now. The climate is roughly the same. To think that a snake of this size could be roaming near my house is wild.