Minneapolis rideshare driver finds large snake left in car

Rideshare drivers often find forgotten items in the backseats of their cars, but a Minneapolis driver had a more slithery find last week, police say.

In a Facebook post Tuesday, Minneapolis police detailed the driver’s find — a long ball python — and a video shows an officer holding the creature for the camera. The police department’s post misidentified the snake as a boa constrictor. Tony Schendel, director of Minneapolis Animal Care and Control, confirmed that the snake was actually a ball python. They are non-venomous and are popular as pets because of their generally docile nature, according to the website WebMD.

The snake was reported around 8 p.m. July 3 by a rideshare driver in the 300 block of Lyndale Avenue S., Minneapolis Police Department spokesman Trevor Folke said.

The snake was safely removed, but officers were unable to find its owner. It has been transferred to the city’s animal control department. If the owner does not come forward, the city will likely send the snake to an animal rescue group, Schendel said. He said animal control has received reptiles in the past.

He said it’s unclear why the snake was left in the car and whether it was unintentional.

“It’s unusual someone would do that,” he said. “It seems kind of strange. There are so many unanswered questions.”

The Police Department’s Facebook post added that no “snakes, officers, drivers, or passengers were physically harmed.”