Walkers discover 9ft BOA CONSTRICTOR snake dead on Wrexham footpath Pictures of giant snake found dead on popular Wrexham pathway go viral Zoologist Chris Wright spotted the snaps and rushed to establish whether the reptile was dead or alive, fearing it could pose a threat to wildlife He said the snake had died after being abandoned in the cold weather Walkers discovered the 9ft boa constrictor lying on a footpath in Wrexham Walkers stretching their legs on a Welsh footpath stumbled across a dead giant boa constrictor, dumped out in the cold. The 9ft snake was discovered on the walkway in Erddig Park, Wrexham on Saturday evening, prompting shocked passers by to share photographs via social networking sites. The pictures went viral, grabbing the attention of zoologist Chris Wright. The special care school teacher, who trained in zoology at Aberystwyth University, said he rushed straight to the scene to establish if the reptile was dead or alive, fearing it could pose a threat to small dogs and other wildlife in the area. Mr Wright, said: 'On Saturday night I had a phone call saying a large snake had been found and I saw the pictures on Twitter. Now usually when people talk about a big snake they just mean a large grass snake, but this is a 9ft long boa constrictor. I quickly needed to establish if it was still alive as it could still pose a risk to life for wildlife and small dogs although it would not have been any threat to humans. So I went out there at 9pm and found the snake, but it was dead. Kevin Harvey from Wrexham, was walking down the country lane with his neighbour David Edwards when they stumbled across the snake. The 54-year-old said: 'It was incredibly long. It was easily as thick as my leg, and so, so heavy. We were so surprised to stumble across it and we poked it with a stick to see if it was alive. Mr Wright, who is a specialist in reptiles and rescues tortoises, said the snake had died as a result of the col weather. Zoologist Chris Wright was alerted to the discovery after spotting pictures on Twitter. He said he rushed straight to the scene to ascertain whether the reptile was dead or alive, fearing it could pose a threat to small dogs and other wildlife The snake is believed to have been dumped and died because of the cold weather. Mr Wright said: 'It is such a shame. She had either escaped, or more than likely had been cruelly dumped by someone He said: 'The snake was a female and was an absolute beauty. I have no indication of age but she was quite well fed. It is such a shame. She had either escaped, or more than likely had been cruelly dumped by someone. It happens quite often unfortunately. It is most likely someone has dumped it and unfortunately it has been killed. He said the snake has now been buried. Boa constrictors can reach up to 13ft in length and kill by crushing their victims The boa constrictor is a species of large, non-poisonous snake. It is a member of the Boidae family and is found in the wild in North, Central and South America, as well as some islands in the Caribbean. They live for between 20 and 30 years, reach up to 13ft in length and can weigh up to 60lbs or 27kgs. Like their cousins, Anacondas, Boas are excellent swimmers but prefer to stay on dry land. In the wild they tend to live in hollow logs and mammals burrows. Their jaws are lined with small hooked teeth, for grabbing and holding their prey, while wrapping their muscular bodies around their victim, squeezing it until it suffocates. Boas will eat almost anything they can catch, including birds, monkeys and wild pigs. Their jaws can stretch to allow them to swallow their prey whole. Female boas incubate their eggs outside their bodies and can give birth to up to 60 babies during their lives. Some boa constrictors are hunted for their fine, ornate skin and as such, many of the species are endangered.