Footage showed a man dressed in a black jacket and jeans reaching into a bin and placing the python in his jacket before speaking with a store employee and walking out of the store.
"I was throwing out trash in the back, he came in and within those few moments he took the snake," clerk Rich Shannon told CBS New York. "It's a ball python, it comes from Africa, it's a different genetic morph that's worth a little bit more money."
Store employees said the culprit regularly comes into the store to by snake food and his photograph was placed outside following the theft, in hopes of identifying him.
"The first thing he should do is come back to the shop, apologize, return the animal and pray he doesn't get prosecuted," Vaughn said.
