A bizarre search is unfolding on the Gold Coast after a South American boa constrictor was released by police who wrongly believed it was a harmless python.

Police say officers were called to The Esplanade at Surfers Paradise on or about March 26, to respond to reports of a large snake spotted at the base of a tree on a footpath.

The officers released the reptile into bushland at the Southport Spit, but the incident has since sparked an operation by Biosecurity Queensland officers who say the snake isn't a harmless python after all.

It's been identified as a two-metre South American boa constrictor, a large predatory snake that could pose a threat to other reptiles and even domestic pets.