An evening dip in the pool for a family in Salem, Massachusetts, was interrupted by an unwanted guest Tuesday night.
Near the pool's edge a python was hiding under a bench.
"It was just sitting there, relaxing," said Bob Bell.
The snake was in the backyard of Bell's home on Goodell Street.
His granddaughters found the snake when they went to take one last jump into the deep end of the pool.
"It's tongue kept coming out and it was super scary, then it rolled up in a ball," said 11-year-old Alyssandra Bell who found the snake with her cousin Kylie.
After spotting the snake they hysterically ran inside their grandfathers house.
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"All of a sudden they come in. 'Papa. Papa. There's a snake, a big snake out in the yard,'" said Bell. "I said 'yea right.' To them a worm is big."
It certainly was no worm nor just a small garden snake.
"It's eyes were evil and its skin was weird," said Bell after spotting the snake.
When their grandfather went out to see what the fuss was about he immediately noticed the snake was something special.
"It had like different colors on it," said Bell. "I said to my daughter, this looks like a python or boa constrictor."
He says the snake was about a foot and a half long and was calm when he moved it.
"I grabbed it with my tongs. It just curled right up," he said.
Salem Animal Control Officers removed the snake from the Bell's home Wednesday morning, confirming it is a ball python.
"They are a friendly snake," said Officer Donald Famico. "They're in the cat and dog family. A lot of people have them as pets."
It's believed the snake was someone's pet that was set free or lost.
Either way, Bell isn't too upset about the unwanted guest.
"It was pretty cool though," he said.
His granddaughters and the snake are safe.
"I didn't get hurt but it was scary to be right there with it," Bell said.
