Workers at one St. Joseph business got a surprise visit from a Python Wednesday afternoon.

Employees from First American Title located at 3723 Beck Rd. said the large snake was found just outside their office around 4 p.m.  That’s when a phone call was placed to St. Joseph Animal Control & Rescue.

Stephen Norman is the Senior Officer with St. Joseph Animal Control & Rescue.  He said the constrictor was very docile and was easily caught.

“It’s obviously somebody’s pet we just don’t know who,” Norman said. “If somebody was missing it and they came down and could prove it was theirs we basically would redeem it back to them.”

Norman said constrictors are not illegal pets to have in St. Joseph because they are not venomous.

“I’m really surprised nobody has called missing it,” he said. “If they could come down and provide proof that it’s theirs we would let them have it back.  If nobody claims it we will adopt it out.”

The Python was described as around 5 feet long and about as round as a can of biscuits.  Norman said it’s not completely out of the norm for Animal Control to catch pet snakes.

“We get one or two a year.  Sometimes people will take them out to the yard and they crawl away,” Norman said. “Or they’re cleaning out their cage and put them in a temporary cage and they crawl away.”

He said Pythons make good pets, if you like snakes.