PLAISTOW — An Australian sugar glider stolen from an exotic pet store has been returned, but the hunt is now on for a man suspected of stuffing a baby albino boa constrictor into his pocket while accompanied by a young girl.

Zoo Creatures manager Dan Bilodeau said the 9-week-old sugar glider — an exotic animal resembling a small flying squirrel — was returned to the Plaistow store last Thursday after it was allegedly pocketed by a customer on July 25.

The store is now hoping for the safe return of a 1-month-old albino boa constrictor stolen on Aug. 5.

Bilodeau said a man entered the store with a girl believed to be about 3 or 4 years old. He claims the man used the girl to “facilitate the theft” by having her distract a store employee while the man stuffed the 12-inch-long snake into his pocket.

The theft of the $450 snake was caught on the store’s surveillance cameras and images have been turned over to Plaistow police.

“I even put signs all over the store saying, ‘You’re on camera,’” Bilodeau said.

Deputy Police Chief Kathleen Jones said police received a report of the stolen snake and plan to review the surveillance footage.

She said the suspect was described as a white man with long dark hair wearing a black T-shirt, cargo shorts and a baseball hat worn backward. The young girl was wearing a multi-colored dress.

Jones said the video shows a man looking at the snake and then showing it to the girl before placing it in his pocket and leaving. Jones said she was not aware of the store’s claims that the girl distracted a store worker while the man took the snake.

Meanwhile, the sugar glider was quickly sold after it was returned last week. Bilodeau said it was returned by a friend of the thief.

Jones said Zoo Creatures opted not to press charges for the sugar glider theft.

jschreiber@newstote.com