Judging by all the news reports out of Florida, you'd expect to find a boa constrictor in the Everglades--but in Fulton, Illinois?

Mark Nettles, from Clinton, Iowa, was driving to work along a road near a lock and dam on the Mississippi River in Fulton when he saw something very unusual lying along the side of the road.

A 7-foot boa constrictor.

Mark thought at first that it might be a python, since reports of escaped pet pythons aren't exactly rare, but after getting an up close and personal view, he realized it was a boa.

Mark Nettles, Facebook
Mark Nettles, Facebook
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Like anyone else (not really), he figured that the October weather wouldn't be conducive to the snake's survival, so he picked it up and tossed it into his truck.

From Fox News:

"I rescued the snake because it is not a native species. It was turned over to Illinois Conservation. They placed it with a habitat rescue in Cedar Rapids. All the right steps were taken," Nettles confirmed in a Facebook post on Wednesday, sharing several photos of the large snake.

Boa constrictors are nonvenomous snakes that can weigh more than 100 pounds and reach more than 13 feet in length. The largest ever measured was about 18 feet, according to National Geographic. Boas, which hail from Central and South America, use their large bodies to suffocate their prey before feasting on them.

The snakes are considered an invasive species and are known for their surprising ability to adapt to a variety of habitats.

So now they're checking out Illinois?

Experts say no, that this snake was probably an unwanted pet that someone released into the wild.

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