Creatures, Myths & Legends

Maine snakeskin is actually from an anaconda

By T.K. Randall
September 4, 2016

Image: Murray Darling Carpet Python
Credit: Scarlet23 / CC BY-SA 3.0 (adapted) Discovered back in August by a member of the public, the 12ft-long snakeskin has intensified rumors that a giant snake called Wessie has been lurking in the woods around the city of Westbrook, Maine.

Now following an official investigation, local authorities have revealed that the snakeskin is actually that of an anaconda - a particularly large snake species most commonly found in the tropical rainforests of South America.

Whether the skin was actually shed by a snake living wild in the area or if it was placed there by someone as a prank however continues to remain a topic of much debate.

"It could be a hoax, I don't know. It's certainly interesting," said Westbrook Police Captain Sean Lally."I don't know what to think at this point. Now that the skin has been identified, it's going to take it to a different level - people are going to be even more interested than they already are."

But if there really is an anaconda on the loose in Maine, how did it get there ?

"If it's indeed an anaconda, probably someone didn't want it anymore and let it go because it was big and required large food prey items," said wildlife biologist Derek Yorks.

"You'd have to be buying this thing rabbits or chickens."

"The fact that police officers saw a large snake makes me think there is some big snake out there, but whether that snake matches up with the skin they found, no one knows."

Source: Boston Globe

Tags: Wessie, Snake, Maine