Cold weather slowed down a 16-foot python enough for it to be caught in the Coronado Hills neighborhood of North Austin on Monday.
The python, which was first spotted in July, is not a native Austinite. According to the Austin Animal Center, the pet snake known as Snow came to town on a road trip with her owner. She was unwittingly stolen from the car when it was broken into. The thief then set her loose to explore the city.
Snow is an albino reticulated python, one of the largest snakes species in the world, along with the green anaconda.
Austin Animal Center staff picked up Snow from a garage where she had been staying warm. They kept her overnight, then transferred her to the Austin Zoo, which held her — but not for long. Staff members contacted a person who had reported a lost python months ago and he was in fact Snow's owner.
She is now back home in Dallas — just in time for the holidays.
