Snake rescued from Arlington tree finds new home

You've heard of kittens being rescued from trees. But what about a giant snake?

A nearly 5-foot-long boa constrictor had to be brought down from a limb in Arlington last week.

Arlington animal control officer David Davis has captured a variety of creatures over the past few years, but never a boa constrictor.

Photos of Davis holding the snake were shared online by Arlington Animal Services.

“It’s been the talk of the town,” said Davis.

The slithering surprise was spotted perched on a tree limb at Veterans Park by a parks employee.

A short time later, Davis got a call from his boss.

“He’s like, ‘Let’s go get a snake out of a tree,’ and I’m like, ‘Snake out of a tree? We leave snakes alone,’ and he’s like, ‘No, it’s a python,’ and I’m like, ‘Yea!’” recalled Davis. “So I got over there as fast as I could.”

It turned out to be a pet boa constrictor unable to fend for itself in the wild.

“I certainly hope somebody didn’t dump her, but they’re known for getting out of their aquariums,” explained Davis.

In one photo, Davis looked like a proud parent after snagging the snake from the tree. He ended up fostering the reptile over the weekend.

After the snake was captured, Arlington Animal Services had hoped her owner would come forward and claim her, but several days later, that did not happen, so the snake went up for adoption on Monday morning.

It didn't take long for the snake to be adopted.

“She needed a good home, and I felt like me and my son and my wife could give her one,” said Davis.

They've already given her a name.

“Her name is Ruby, Ruby the red tail,” said Davis.

The city says releasing unwanted pet snakes into the wild is never the right thing to do because they will not survive on their own.