A large snake slithered its way up the railing of a deck in Stillwater Wednesday morning, startling the homeowner.

FOX 9 reports the snake is a 5-foot boa constrictor, while the Pioneer Press said the reptile is about 7 feet long.

Paul Kiolbasa, who lives on River Heights Drive, discovered the reptile around 5 a.m. when he walked onto his deck and attempted to pick up a roll of paper towels left behind by his kids.

When the paper towels moved, the man switched on a light, spotted the snake and immediately called 911.

The boa had wrapped itself around the deck railing when a herpetologist arrived to remove it. The constrictor is probably a lost pet, police told FOX 9.

The snake is being held at the Minnesota Herpetological Society and will be available for adoption if no one claims it.