Bailey Richards is a writer-reporter at PEOPLE. She has been working at PEOPLE since 2023 and interned with the brand in 2022. Her work has previously appeared in digital publications like Paper Magazine and TV Insider.
A deputy got a big -- 8 feet, to be exact -- shock when he found a snake slithering in a small New England town.
Jonathan Marshall, a deputy with the York County Sheriff's Office, located the lengthy boa constrictor last week after responding to an animal complaint in Shapleigh, Maine, the York County Sheriff's Office shared in a Facebook post.
After arriving where the reptile was spotted at Shapleigh Corner Rd. on Friday, Nov. 15, Marshall tracked down the wandering boa constrictor -- whose length measured 8 feet, according to the sheriff's office.
The deputy posed with the snake, draping it across his hands on the side of the road, before removing the reptile from the chilly Maine weather -- a far cry from its ideal climate.
"Deputy Marshall secured the snake in his vehicle to get it out of the cold temperatures," the sheriff's office wrote, noting that the chilly conditions could've been "deadly to this cold-blooded animal" -- a concern several Facebook users also expressed in the comments section.
"It was cold out yesterday! Poor snake 😞," one wrote, while another added, "I am in no way a snake lover, but setting out free in the cold is cruel. Hopefully, it will find a new home."
"I'm surprised it's survived this long in the cold," another top comment read. "So glad it was saved."
Native to Central and South America, boa constrictors can survive in many environments but thrive in tropical rainforests, according to the Smithsonian's National Zoo and Conservation Biology Institute.
Pet MD recommends a range of habitat temperatures for boas of 90 to 95 degrees, with a minimum of 80 degrees at night. According to Weather Channel data, temperatures peaked at 58 in Shapleigh on Nov. 15.
After Marshall secured the boa in his vehicle, the authorities contacted the Maine Warden Service (the government office responsible for protecting the state's natural resources) to retrieve it.
The service transported the boa to the Animal Welfare Society in Kennebunk, which "is trying to locate the owner," a rep for the Maine Warden Service tells PEOPLE.
Never miss a story -- sign up for PEOPLE's free daily newsletter to stay up-to-date on the best of what PEOPLE has to offer, from juicy celebrity news to compelling human interest stories.
The Animal Welfare Society in Kennebunk told PEOPLE that "at this time, no one has come forward to claim this pet. The snake is a common boa constrictor in good condition, and we will be partnering with a local reptile rescue and sanctuary to find an adopter."
While many comments on the York County Sheriff's Office post about the snake concerned the animal's well-being, some addressed what would've happened if someone else had come face-to-face with the reptile before its rescue.
"This would have ruined my hunt if I stumbled across it in the woods," one commenter said, while another person wrote that they are "moving" away from the area.
Boa constrictors, however, are not typically dangerous to humans. According to the Smithsonian's website, there are "very few cases" of the nonvenomous snakes attacking people. The website also notes that "even human babies are too large to be suitable prey" for the snakes.