A 7-foot long boa constrictor that was sunning in its owner's backyard has slithered away and police are on alert for it.

"Apparently, during the warmer weather, the owner lets the snake get some sun. … That's how the snake escaped," Police Chief Brian Craig of the Swarthmore, Pa., police told ABC News.

The snake is easily recognizable because, at 7-feet long, it's a huge snake. Nevertheless, police describe the reptile as tan and brown.

Craig cautions against comparing the snake to the 15-foot python that strangled two children in Canada after it escaped from a reptile store in early August.

"These are two entirely different types of snake," Craig explained. "This snake is only half the length of the python in Canada. It is not an aggressive species of snake."

Craig stressed that the missing boa constrictor did not pose a danger to the surrounding Swarthmore community.

"I'm not a snake expert, but the snake should not be a threat to people. If it gets hungry, then it could target primarily rodents, possibly small pets at most," he said.

The snake disappeared Sunday night and was reported missing on Monday, said Craig.

The boa constrictor's owner, an eastern Pennsylvanian veterinarian, according to The Associated Press, did not return a call from ABC News requesting comment.