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OK-Monster snake slithering in Rumford canal
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by tigers9 on July 2, 2009
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OOOKKK, I will take/adopt it and sell it for profit, 17 foot boa would be pretty unusual
Z
<< Milligan said that based on the descriptions of the reptile, she believed it to be a 17-foot-long boa constrictor.>>
http://www.sunjournal.com/node/26650/
Monster snake slithering in Rumford canal
By Terry Karkos, Staff Writer
Published: Jul 02, 2009 12:00 am
Terry Karkos/Sun Journal
Two people told Rumford police dispatcher Sue Milligan on Wednesday morning that they saw a 17-foot-long boa constrictor enter the Rumford canal here behind Bartash's store, seen in the background.
Terry Karkos/Sun Journal
An over-abundance of spring rain has turned the banks of Rumford's canal system into lush brushy habitat that could be home to a giant snake if sightings on Wednesday morning turn out to be true. This view shows the Hartford Street bridge.
Terry Karkos/Sun Journal
High water from more than two weeks of rain has risen water levels in Rumford's canal system as illustrated by the Route 108 bridge in the background. On Wednesday, two people told police they saw a giant snake entering the water through the brush on the right off Canal Street.
RUMFORD - OK, snake owners. Check your cages. Anybody missing a 17-foot-long boa constrictor?
On Wednesday morning, two people contacted Rumford police dispatcher Sue Milligan and told her they'd seen a monster snake entering the canal system off Canal Street behind Bartash's store.
Milligan said that based on the descriptions of the reptile, she believed it to be a 17-foot-long boa constrictor.
Because an apparent large snake sighting isn't a police matter, Milligan said she alerted the Maine Warden Service.
"Once it gets into the water, it's not our problem," Milligan said.
Wardens will be investigating, spokeswoman Deborah Turcotte said early Wednesday evening via e-mail.
"The Maine Warden Service has received a report of an apparent large snake in the river, and a broad description of where it may be," Turcotte said.
"If anyone has detailed information of a specific location where it may be for an extended period of time, please call the Warden Service so that the snake can be identified and removed, if necessary," she added.
To contact the warden service, call 800-228-0857.
If there is a giant snake in the Rumford canal system, it would most likely be a red-tail boa constrictor or a Burmese python, according to Robbie White of Mexico.
White keeps several large snakes as pets and is regarded as the local expert based on his annual show-and-tell sessions using his snakes to teach youngsters about the reptiles during summer reading programs in libraries.
"When people see a snake of that length, they automatically think it's a boa," White said. "But there are no snakes in the state of Maine that I know of that are going to grow to that length, unless it was a pet and it escaped."
If it's at least 14 feet long, it's a red-tail boa constrictor, he said.
"But if it's much bigger - like 16 feet or 18 feet - then you're talking more along the lines of what I understand is a Burmese python," White said. "But a Burmese python, once it gets that size, would be very aggressive."
"I mean, you wouldn't want to go in there after it unless you had a catch pole and a couple of people with you, because they are quite strong and they are very aggressive," he added.
When told of the Rumford sightings, White said a 17-foot-long boa would have an elongated head the size of a grapefruit. It would also be right at home in the water.
"Boa constrictors love the water, oh yeah," White said. "My 10-foot red-tail boa, she stayed in her pool of water for almost two months one time; just had her nose sticking out of it."
So how does one spot a monster boa constrictor that enjoys its watery environment?
"When it gets hungry or whenever the sun comes out so it can sun itself," White said. "That's the best chance to see it."
If a 17-foot-long snake is actually living in the water and brush along the canal, it isn't likely to go anywhere if it's got plenty of food, he said.
"When I get some free time, I will go over there to the canal system and see if I can spot it, because I can tell what it is from a piece of snake skin," he said. "I can also tell by the byproduct from them digesting something if it's a large pile of poop."
tkarkos@sunjournal.com
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RE: OK-Monster snake slithering in Rumford canal
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by tigers9 on July 2, 2009
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it is maine not oklahoma, i am doing too many things at the same time, sorry about that
z
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RE: OK-Monster snake slithering in Rumford canal
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by Cro on July 2, 2009
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Sounds to me like the local snake "expert" is a bit of a nitwhit. I guess you take what you can get in Maine, though.
"If it's at least 14 feet long, it's a red-tail boa constrictor,"
"But if it's much bigger - like 16 feet or 18 feet - then you're talking more along the lines of what I understand is a Burmese python,"
"But a Burmese python, once it gets that size, would be very aggressive."
"I mean, you wouldn't want to go in there after it unless you had a catch pole and a couple of people with you, because they are quite strong and they are very aggressive,"
"because I can tell what it is from a piece of snake skin," he said. "I can also tell by the byproduct from them digesting something if it's a large pile of poop."
Where do I start, LOL ?
Best Regards
John Z
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RE: OK-Monster snake slithering in Rumford canal
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by Rob_Carmichael on July 3, 2009
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I think the "expert" spends too much time fly fishing naked in the cold rivers there - OY....is it just in the reptile hobby where we find all the nut jobs?
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RE: OK-Monster snake slithering in Rumford canal
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by pitbulllady on July 3, 2009
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I'm wondering...how many of y'all, some of whom have been in snakes even longer than I have(and THAT is a long time, folks), have ever seen a Common Boa over 14 feet long? I've seen a lot of BCI's, since this is the one of the main species I keep and breed, over the years, but the biggest I've seen is a 10 footer, and that is certainly big enough to really stand out and get my attention from all the other BCI's around. That would be, in my years of experience with this species, a really large specimen. I've had some old females at like, 8 1/2 feet, but it's not common to see them much bigger than that. Of course, people tend to grossly exaggerate snake sizes, as everyone here knows, and if I had a dime for every "8-foot" snake that turned out to be a 5-foot snake, IF that, I'd be able to bail out the auto companies myself and still have plenty of "mad money" to spend when I'm done!
I'd be quite willing to bet that this "17-foot" snake is either a hoax cooked up by the AR folks(is there anti-exotic legislation being considered in Maine?), or it is a rather large specimen of Nerodia sipedon.
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RE: OK-Monster snake slithering in Rumford canal
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by Rob_Carmichael on July 5, 2009
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I have personally seen a 14-foot boa constrictor - it was a real monster. I'm sure there are some larger specimens out there.
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RE: OK-Monster snake slithering in Rumford canal
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by Cro on July 6, 2009
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There are probably a few 14 foot boa constrictors out there, however, it is not very likely they are swimming around in a canal in Maine, LOL !
Best Regards
John Z
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RE: OK-Monster snake slithering in Rumford canal
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by FLherp on July 6, 2009
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Boas of 14+ feet are outliers, as are burms in excess of 20' (consider the price recently paid for the 20+ foot burm by a US zoo). This should not be the gauge used to determine what is normal. Consider that Robert Wadlow attained a reported height of 8'11'', we don't refer to people as a human being capable of attaining a height of almost 9', although it is demonstrably factual. Nor do we refer to other people as capable of attaining a weight of 1200 pounds, although that is also reportedly true (Manuel Uribe). While technically correct, some of these facts are misleading, as the average is quite a bit smaller than these reported lengths and weights. Reality is quite a bit less frightening than we would be led to believe by the hysterical media (pun intended). Most people never paid attention in science and math, thus we are perpetually inundated with this kind of "information" which is really intended to frighten or titillate, statistics are boring things that should not be allowed to interfere with a really spicy narrative.
Jeff (king of qualifiers)
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RE: OK-Monster snake slithering in Rumford canal
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by tigers9 on July 6, 2009
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Overestimating weight is really bad with big cats. When Roy from S&R fame got injured by tiger, media reported it as 600-700 pound tiger. While in quarantine it was weighed, 350 pounds.
It is often the owners themselves that report double the real weight, since so many are doing it and media is pickign it up, those of us who report the real weight (I have flat veterinary scale that goes to 400 pounds) need to explain why our weights are lower, we keep doing disiclaimer that we have REAL weight, so we don't get accused of underfeeding our cats. If the cat is really 700 pounds it is either liger or extremely obese tiger.
Z
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