Kevin Kibble appeared at Cupar Sheriff Court on Thursday to deny an animal cruelty charge.
Defence lawyer Douglas Williams told the court: “I would advise that the defence is that arrangements were made for this animal to be looked after while my client was serving a sentence in Perth Prison.”
Kibble, 30, of Tarvit Terrace, Springfield, near Cupar, denies causing the protected animal unnecessary suffering by failing to provide arrange adequate care for it resulting in its death.
Sheriff Jamie Gilmour ordered Kibble to stand trial early next year, and told him to attend court again in December for a pre-trial hearing.
Fully grown boa constrictors can reach sizes of up to 14ft in captivity, and can weigh up to 27kg.
In the wild, they kill their prey by coiling round their target and asphyxiating them.