Submitted photo New Ulm Police photographed a ball python snake at about 8:50 a.m. Monday on a sidewalk near 7th North and German St. Corp. Chris Davis and Sgt. Aaron Widmark placed the nonvenomous constrictor snake into a plastic bag with a shovel and took it to the New Ulm Veterinary Clinic. The snake died not long afterwards.

NEW ULM — Police tried in vain to save a ball python snake after receiving a call about it spotted near 7th North and German St. Monday.

Corp. Chris Davis said he and Sgt. Aaron Widmer spotted the nonvenomous constrictor snake near the intersection. Widmer used a shovel to put the snake in a large, plastic bag.

“I took it to the New Ulm Veterinary Clinic and was told the snake didn’t seem to be in very good condition, but they kept the snake while I called 4×4 Reptile Rescue in Brainerd,” said Davis. “After making arrangements with the Reptile Rescue, I got a call from the vet clinic and learned the snake died. They didn’t know just how it died, but the snake was outside in the rain. It was either abandoned or got away from its owner. We don’t know how long it was outside.”

Davis said a photo of the snake was posted on Facebook by the New Ulm Police Dept. but as far as he knows, nobody contacted police yet about it.

Ball pythons, also called royal pythons, are native to West and Central Africa. They are known for their defense strategy that involves coiling into a tight ball when threatened, with its head and neck tucked away in the middle. The defense behavior is usually employed in lieu of biting.