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Florida forest snake likely a released pet

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OCALA, Fla., Nov. 13 (UPI) -- A 7-foot boa constrictor captured in Florida's Ocala National Forest was likely a pet released into the wild, experts said.

Robert Robins of the Florida Museum of Natural History in Gainesville, said the boa constrictor caught Sunday was likely a former pet and not a wandering member of the wild breeding colonies in the Everglades, which were also started by released pets, Ocala.com reported Tuesday.

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Robins said it was unlikely snakes would establish breeding populations in Marion County and the Ocala National Forest due to occasional cold weather.

"I wouldn't go out on a limb and say they couldn't become established," he said. "Boa constrictors have a large range that extends from Central America to Argentina. Some are more cold tolerant than others."

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