PALM BAY, Fla. -- A Palm Bay man couldn't get into his house Monday afternoon because his entranceway was blocked by an 8-foot boa constrictor.

Brevard County Animal Services and Enforcement was called to the house at Helliwell Street, off Lamplighter Drive, to capture the red-tail boa constrictor.

Capt. Bob Brown said one of his officers went to the homeowner's property and found the nonpoisonous, rodent-eating snake curled up in the front lawn in a bushy area. The officer captured the snake without incident and it was taken to South Animal Care and Adoption Center in Melbourne, Local 6 News partner Florida Today reported.

"It was most likely a pet in a cage in someone’s garage," Brown said. "They are pretty clever animals. If they're in a cage, they look for a way out and usually find it."

Brown said the snake is not a nonpermitted species, and it's not unusual to get a call like the one from the Palm Bay homeowner.