(KGW, NBC NEWSCHANNEL) A bold burglar managed to slither away from an Oregon pet store after putting a snake in his pants.
And the venomous crime was caught on camera.
Surveillance video from the A To Z Pet Store in Portland shows a man take a black pastel ball python out of its cage and stick it down his pants Friday.
The store owner says the snake is about two-feet long and was being sold for $200.
She says the snake breed isn't aggressive, but the terrestrial thief is lucky it wasn't feeding day.
"It was feeding day, or close to feeding day. The snakes are very hungry. I know when I go back there on a Saturday or Sunday even, the snakes are up against the glass looking for food, and they are ready to eat by Saturday. So he made it in the nick of time. They like dark warm places so he was probably very comfortable where he was at,” said store owner Christin Bjugan.
Despite the humor, the store owner says she is very upset since the pet store - which sells rare reptiles - has been around for 20 years.
Police say they are working to track down the serpent suspect.