Giant python spotted by soccer field at Cherry Beach

Once in a while in Toronto’s great outdoors you find some hidden gems and rare animals.

And Wednesday proved just that for a group playing soccer in a field at Cherry Beach.

Ian Harvey shared a photo of their discovery, a giant ball python, just hanging out on the rocks.

According to the Toronto Zoo, these kinds of snakes are usually found in grasslands, shrub lands and open forests. The pythons are typically found near open water so they can cool themselves during hot weather, which may make sense when it comes to this little guy at Cherry Beach. These are non-venomous snakes, and often feed on birds, small mammals, and eggs.

The guys who found the ball snake were quite calm… unlike our reaction to seeing this in Toronto.

See also

• 17 Reasons the east side of Toronto is its best side
• A list of every animal you're legally not allowed to keep in Toronto
• Report: Half of Canada's wildlife populations are rapidly declining