For about a day earlier this week, people near Dickeyville were on the lookout for what was believed to be a python.

The snake was reported to the Grant County Sheriff’s Office crossing U.S. 61 south of Scoops Drive in Dickeyville Sunday around 5:30 p.m.

A Sheriff’s Office report described the snake as “large.” Sheriff Nate Dreckman added on the Sheriff’s Office Facebook page that “A snake of this size is not manageable to capture and can cause injuries.” 

However, a sheriff’s deputy who was engaged in the hunt for the snake saw a photo and showed it to a snake expert. The bull snake, though an estimated 50 to 70 inches long, is native to Southwest Wisconsin and is not dangerous to the public, the Sheriff’s Office said Monday afternoon.

Nevertheless, the Sheriff’s Office advised anyone who encounters the snake to leave it alone.

This bull snake was seen crossing U.S. 61 in Dickeyville Sunday.