Missing: Fluffy, A 5-Foot Pet Snake

A pet named Fluffy is loose near a golf course in Memphis.

Fluffy had been playing in the grass in his backyard on July 8 while his owner watered plants when he got away; make that slithered away; from home.

By the way, Fluffy is a 5-foot-long black-and-tan boa constrictor. Owner Dana Shields said she named him that so people would be less fearful of him.

Shields has run lost pet ads offering a $300 reward for Fluffy. She described him as an affectionate snake who likes to snuggle into her thick hair and stand up on his tail, making him about as tall as a walking cane, to watch the traffic whiz by the road past his home.

Shields acknowledged Tuesday that her neighbors in the Galloway Golf Course area have been really good about all this, but she's worried for Fluffy's safety if he meets a stranger.

"He's not a threat," Shields said. "He can't eat anything larger than a rat. I just don't want someone to hurt him."

She offered this comfort; Fluffy won't squeeze anything too big to eat.

Shields hopes if anyone finds Fluffy, they won't harm him and will call her; once they stop screaming.