Why did the snake cross the road? Well, authorities aren't quite sure because it never made it to the other side: a six-foot boa constrictor was found dead on the side of the road in Norwalk, Connecticut yesterday. more ›

Anyone missing a pet boa constrictor? Yesterday, Emergency Service cop Michael D'Alessandro captured a massive boa constrictor that was seen on a bridge in Springfield Park in Queens. Officers said they didn't know the exact measurements of the snake, but judging from the Post photo it has to be at least five feet, right? One witness said, "I've seen strange creatures around here, but that's scary." The boa was put in a bag and brought to a local vet. At least it wasn't in anyone's toilet this time. more ›

Feds are moving to keep the Burmese python and eight other large slithering species out of the United States, and specifically out of JFK. Interior Secretary Ken Salazar says the airport ban is important since New York is the biggest entry point to the U.S. for imported wildlife, reported AP. People bring snakes in as the pets, but often end up releasing them into the wild where they wreak havoc on delicate ecosystems like Florida's Everglades. Also on the chopping block are Indian pythons, Northern African pythons, Southern African pythons, reticulated pythons, boa constrictors and four species of anacondas. Before a final decision is made, the proposal will be open to a public hearing. more ›

Employees at a laundromat in Morningside Heights found a four-feet-long, nine-pound boa constrictor curled up between bags of clothes this morning. Animal Care and Control officials say the snake was safely removed by police and taken to its offices in East Harlem for a checkup. Jose Ortiz of Animal Care and Control tells NY1, "It's a very timid snake, not an aggressive snake at all." Yeah, that's probably because it was napping while digesting Snuggle. Animal Care and Control says the boa will be sent to a reptile sanctuary upstate and will eventually be released back into the wild. The incident is only the latest in a long line of surprise snake discoveries in the city; in June a Bronx woman discovered a five-foot long, tan-colored snake under her dining room table; in February two boys found a boa between the couch cushions in their Bensonhurst apartment, and who could forget the python in the toilet? Not us; that's why we're sleeping on our office desks in diapers and hand-washing our clothes! more ›

A Long Island man made an unsuccessful attempt at taking the life of his landlord, whose house he was renting a room in, by setting the residence on fire Friday night. Not as fortunate as the landlord and his girlfriend who both escaped the blaze safely was the man's boa constrictor—its head was cut off and left in front of the landlord's door before the fire was set. 45-year-old Jose Rios was arrested early Saturday morning in Central Islip after showing up at his sister's home wielding a knife and telling everyone there, "I can't go home. I killed everyone in that house and you're next." The landlord, Larry Maxwell, and his girlfriend, Jorene Palms, were able to get out of the house because Rios tried to alert Palms of the fire he had ignited with gasoline and a lighter. Rios later told police that he "wanted (Maxwell) to die." Maxwell said that although Rios sometimes behaved erratically, he "could be the nicest guy you'd ever meet." Charges for Rios include arson and animal cruelty for killing his snake Max, which may or may not have been named after the landlord. more ›

Two seven year old boys were coloring on the couch yesterday when a four foot boa constrictor peeked its head out from one of the couch cushions. "I felt something on my back," one of the boys, Jay Jhomar, tells the Post. "I was excited. At first I thought I found a toy in the couch... It was staring and waiting for someone to eat. I was a little scared, and we were screaming." Jay's mother Danielle summoned the police to her Bensonhurst home, and the snake was subsequently taken away by Animal Care and Control. It's believed to be an escaped pet, but the Post says boas are illegal to own in NYC and it will likely end up in an animal sanctuary. (Jay's futilely lobbying to keep it.) Danielle suspects the boa slithered in through an open window to try and get warm, but the Daily News has a more sinister theory: "The best guess is that the snake slithered into the first-floor apartment by way of a toilet." Aaaand we'll be refusing liquids and food until we can somehow forget about that image. more ›