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Florida man finds 4-foot python coiled on floor of pantry

By Ben Hooper
Orange County Fire Rescue responders captured a 4-foot ball python an Orlando man found coiled on the floor of his pantry. Screenshot: WFTV
Orange County Fire Rescue responders captured a 4-foot ball python an Orlando man found coiled on the floor of his pantry. Screenshot: WFTV

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May 24 (UPI) -- A Florida man said he opened up his pantry in the morning and was shocked to discover a 4-foot python coiled on the floor.

Lenny Lichtman opened the pantry Tuesday morning at his Orlando home and quickly noticed the large snake "rolled up like spaghetti" on the floor, he told WFTV.

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"My heart was in my stomach, I thought I was going to catch a stroke or a heart attack. It was pounding," Lichtman told WKMG-TV.

"My blood pressure must have been up to like 220 over 140," he said.

Lichtman called 911 for help with the serpentine invader.

"I thought it was a hallucination, I swear to God," he told WFLA-TV. "I told the lady on the phone, don't laugh when I tell you this."

Orange County Fire Rescue arrived at the home and responders quickly recognized the snake as a nonvenomous python. They asked Lichtman to hand them a pillowcase.

"They dumped it in the pillowcase and they walked out the door like Santa Claus with a bag of toys with a snake in it, put it on a truck and they left," Lichtman said.

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Lichtman said he suspects the snake got into his home through the garage, which he sometimes leaves open.

He said he plans to "just keep the garage door closed and the windows closed and they can't get in."

"I'm scared to even walk in my garage right now, I am," Lichtman said.

Fire Rescue personnel said they couldn't get in contact with Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission officials, so they took the snake to the Gatorland rescue park.

Chris Sears, a Gatorland snake expert, said the serpent appears to be a ball python. He said the 4-foot snake is likely female, as male ball pythons are usually only 2 to 3 feet long.

Sears said the python is likely an escaped pet and will be kept by Gatorland for educational purposes after a 10-day quarantine to ensure it isn't suffering any health problems.

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