Family Found a Massive Python Under Their Shed—Then an X-Ray Revealed Its Last Meal

A New Jersey family got an alarming surprise in their backyard when an enormous Burmese python turned up beneath the floor of their shed — and a veterinary X-ray later revealed the snake had recently consumed a sizable meal.

Leslie Daley reportedly spotted the massive reptile while tending to flowers at the family’s Freehold property. Her husband, Ed, told WABC that the family soon realized the snake had slipped through an opening and taken refuge beneath their shed.

The reptile was identified as a Burmese python measuring roughly 8 feet long. Its enormous size and visibly distended midsection made it clear the snake had recently eaten.

Faced with an exotic predator hiding underneath their backyard structure, the Daleys contacted the Monmouth County SPCA for help.

Animal control officials worked with a local contractor to carefully remove sections of the shed floor so they could reach the snake without putting people or the animal at unnecessary risk.

Video from the rescue showed officers handling the lengthy python as they extracted it from its unexpected hiding place. The snake’s large body and prominent stomach bulge made for a striking sight.

Burmese pythons originate in Southeast Asia and are not naturally found in New Jersey or elsewhere in the northeastern United States. Their presence in a residential backyard therefore raised questions about how the animal ended up there.

According to NBC New York, residents of New Jersey can legally keep certain exotic snakes, including Burmese pythons, provided they obtain the required permit.

A veterinary examination provided an even bigger surprise.

An X-ray showed that the python had swallowed a large opossum, according to the Monmouth County SPCA. The discovery explained the snake’s unusually swollen appearance and demonstrated just how much prey the powerful constrictor was capable of consuming.

The python is now being kept in a secure enclosure under the supervision of an experienced reptile handler. Officials are working to determine where the exotic animal can be permanently housed.

The Monmouth County SPCA used the unusual rescue to issue a broader warning about exotic pets and the consequences of releasing them into the environment.

The organization stressed that animals such as Burmese pythons can pose risks to native wildlife and domestic animals when they are abandoned or released. The reptiles themselves can also struggle to survive in an environment that is far different from their natural habitat.

The agency urged owners who can no longer care for exotic reptiles to contact animal rescues or shelters rather than releasing them outdoors.

For the Daley family, what began as an ordinary afternoon of gardening quickly turned into a remarkable wildlife encounter — with an 8-foot predator hiding directly beneath their backyard shed.