A Southwest Miami-Dade homeowner got quite the scare this week after discovering an uninvited guest slithering around their property.

On Monday, a Burmese python was spotted inside a shed near 280th Avenue and Southwest 141st Street. Miami-Dade Fire Rescue quickly called in Captain Rusty Shaw, who leads the department’s venom response team. Shaw safely captured and removed the massive snake before it could cause harm.

Burmese pythons, which are not native to Florida, have become one of South Florida’s most destructive invasive species. The snakes are known to prey on native wildlife, upsetting the balance of the Everglades ecosystem.

While officials did not release the size of the python removed, encounters like this are becoming increasingly common across Miami-Dade and the surrounding areas. Residents are urged to report python sightings rather than trying to handle the snakes themselves.

For now, thanks to a quick response, the homeowner’s shed is snake-free — and one less python is roaming the neighborhood.