Loren Coleman, director of the International Cryptozoology Museum in Portland, agreed that the snake is likely dead and warned fans to be skeptical of reported sightings. “People might not believe what I have to say.” “I bet people will still be reporting sightings of Wessie in the future because I feel like it’s earned its way as an urban legend at this point,” Yorks said. Yorks said not everyone will be convinced of the science. The snake’s remains are not likely to be found, and unless an owner comes forward to explain the snake’s release or escape, the mystery might never be solved. “There are none of them that occur outside that climate, so physiologically and ecologically, they don’t have any capacity to deal with winter.” “All of those snakes are native to tropical regions of the world,” Yorks said. When temperatures dropped, Wessie likely tried to seek shelter in an animal burrow or under a fallen tree. However, a warm-weather snake raised in captivity will not survive long beyond summer. Those snakes are among the largest in the world, and as they get bigger, their owners might release them because they become more difficult to manage. Although such snakes are not permitted as pets in Maine, it is possible to buy them in other states. Yorks said Wessie is probably a boa – a family of snakes that includes anacondas – or a python. Reptiles that survive Maine’s cold winters typically bury themselves underneath the frozen ground until spring. Maine’s biggest native snakes include the endangered black racer, which can grow up to 5 feet long. Reptiles are coldblooded, which means they cannot control their own body temperature. That’s because a snake as large as the one reported by witnesses would not be native to Maine, Yorks said. “The snake probably didn’t make it past October,” said Derek Yorks, a biologist at the Maine Department of Inland Fisheries & Wildlife. The lack of any additional sightings doesn’t surprise snake experts. Interested residents still ask Roberts about the snake, but the chief would not voice any theories about its whereabouts or origins. “We have had no further sightings,” said Westbrook Police Chief Janine Roberts. Related Mythical or not, Wessie’s made real wavesīut as the temperatures dropped, the trail went cold. The discovery of the anaconda skin elevated the legend and attracted national media attention, as well as Wessie fans who came to scour the park. The snake sightings captivated locals and led to the creation of social media pages on behalf of Wessie. No one could confirm the skin came from the same snake, and the find led some to speculate that the skin was placed near the river as a hoax. Then, in August, a resident walking near the bank of the river found a shed snakeskin later identified as the product of an 8- or 9-foot green anaconda, a native of tropical South America and one of the largest snakes in the world. Westbrook police officers said they spotted the snake swimming in the river and eating what appeared to have been a beaver. The hype began in June, when a resident made the first report of a 10-foot-long snake in Riverbank Park. It’s more about the idea of it and this ridiculous story of a giant exotic snake in downtown Westbrook.” Burns?" Lowly sorts, in pirate lingo Goes so-o-o slowly _ orange Unenthused response A.P.R.-lowering option Really digging Mesoamerican language family with about half a million speakers Sites of sudden admissions, for short A pop Carolers' wear Middle-distance options on fairways The _ Five, nickname for the "Queer Eye" cast Flip Political commentator Perino Non-nons? Onetime airer of "Music City Tonight" Multitudes Kind of mold Producers of sharp increases in height? Score marking to play higher or lower than written Summer carnival treat One pile of laundry "What are you waiting for?!" Ostracized group in the Bible _ March (annual event since 2017) Band with the 1974 hit "Come and Get Your Love" Bucktooth, e.g.“It doesn’t really matter if there continues to be sightings or if it was even real in the first place,” said Abigail Cioffi, executive director of the Downtown Westbrook Coalition. Burns on the classic TV episode "Who Shot Mr. More answers for SeptemCut along the grain Collection of offers? "Them" Component of ants on a log Flash setting Who shot Mr.
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