The Rhode Island Department of Environmental Management says pets should not be released to the wild.
The warning comes after a three-foot-long ball python was found at Beavertail State Park.
The snake was first spotted by a park visitor in July, and it was calm, friendly and clearly used to people when found last week.
Officials say the snake had clearly been someone's pet and it now has a new home as an educational ambassador at the Beavertail Aquarium.
Officials say releasing pets into the wild isn't just dangerous, it's illegal and abandonment leading to an animal's death is a felony.
(Photo: Rhode Island Department Of Environmental Management)