Slithery Surprise: 14-Foot Python Found On Side Of NY Road

Wildlife officers in New York got a slithery surprise on Valentine’s Day when a massive reticulated python was found on the side of a Long Island road.

Environmental Conservation Officers found a 14-foot reticulated python dead on the side of the road in Medford on Tuesday, Feb. 14.
Photo Credit: *NYS Department of Environmental Conservation/pxhere*

Michael Mashburn

03/04/2023 6:00 a.m.

Department of Environmental Conservation (DEC) officers were called Tuesday, Feb. 14, with reports that a large snake had been found on the side of the road in the town of Medford, according to the agency.

When officers arrived, they found the python curled up in a ball. They quickly determined that the reptile, which measured 14 feet long, was dead.

Officers removed the snake from the roadway to “appropriately dispose of it,” the agency said in a statement.

Investigators are working to determine who owned the snake, which is presumed to have been illegally kept as a pet.

Native to southern Asia, reticulated pythons can grow to over 20 feet long and can weigh hundreds of pounds. The reptiles can only be kept as pets in New York with a Dangerous Animal License.

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