Slithering on the Subway: Snake Reunited With Owner After Getting Loose on Boston Train

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NewsFeed is surprised it took almost a month to find Penelope the Boa. Shrieks from terrified passengers should have quickly located her.

Melissa Moorhouse was traveling on the Boston’s “T” on January 7th with her companion Penelope the snake around her neck – when it slithered away. The 3-foot-long Dumeril boa snaked off on an adventure through the subway cars, eluding capture – and hazard – for nearly a month until Thursday, when a conductor found and returned Penelope to her owners.

(More on TIME.com: See video of the spa treatment involving snakes.)

It was no secret that a snake was missing on the T, as the mere thought is enough to give riders a fright. When Moorhouse reported the snake missing, the train was halted twice to search for it, but Penelope proved a slippery find.

“I think she’s starting to get into her snake teenage years and getting a little bit more adventurous than she used to be,” said Moorhouse. Fortunately, the conductors that came across the – fortunately non-poisonous – snake was also a reptile lover.  Penelope’s adventure came to an end, and surely Moorhouse will keep a better wrap on the snake in the future.

We’d almost prefer the infamous rats of the NYC subway crawling on us as opposed to a snake.

(More on TIME.com: See the top 10 miniature animals.)