Maine officials have identified the origins of that snake skin. It’s an anaconda.
A roughly 10-foot-long snake skin found along a river in Westbrook, Maine, earlier this month—as well as a slew of sightings—has locals both perplexed and on edge.
Well, here’s something to put Mainers’ minds at ease: The skin came from an anaconda.
Westbrook police announced Tuesday that DNA test results from the skin, found August 20 on the shores of the Presumpscot River, confirmed that it came from an anaconda, a species not native to the area (not by a long shot).
Police said experts estimate the snake to be eight to nine feet long.
“An anaconda of that size is a juvenile snake and is not a threat to humans,” they said. “It would, however, be a threat to small pets such as a cat or small dog.”
Westbrook police also said they still were not sure whether the skin was actually left by an anaconda or planted as a hoax. Nevertheless, following a sighting in late June, multiple residents, as well as a police officer, have reported spotting some sort of large snake.
After consulting with biologist Dr. John S. Placyk, who tested the skin, police advised that locals do not approach the snake or try to capture. While anacondas are not venomous, they do bite. They are also known to lurk in rivers and constrict their prey to death.
Police said they will continue to work with specialists to strategize on ways to locate and either capture or euthanize the snake, which locals have come to refer as “Wessie.”
Fortunately for the snake-averse, police also noted that an anaconda cannot survive a Maine winter.
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