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Old July 15th, 2014 #276
Alex Linder
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JEFFERSON — The 10- to 20-foot snake seen in and around Lake Hopatcong [N.J.] is still on the loose — but maybe local residents should be checking behind their own computer keyboards. It's got its own Twitter account.

Trooper Jeff Flynn said Monday State Police have received three calls about the massive snake to date, and searched the area each time. But each time, they've failed to turn it up.

As reported by NJ.com Thursday, Jefferson Police Capt. Eric Wilsusen said the snake — first reported to police the day before — was reported to be greater than 14 feet in length, and was described by a resident as a boa constrictor.

But accounts of the snake's length have varied. CBS New York on Friday cited resident reports that the snake was "up to 20 feet long." Lake Hopatcong news cited a resident describing the snake as between 10 and 15 feet. And the Byram Cove Party Facebook page, which has been tracking news of the snake, on Sunday described it as between 10 and 12 feet while coiled and swimming, with a girth of 4 to 5 inches.

Also according to the page, a "snake expert from (the) state" plans to be in the area Thursday to set traps. Flynn didn't have any information about that effort, and a spokesman for the state Department of Environmental Protection said the expert isn't with its Division of Fish and Wildlife. Calls by NJ.com to the state Department of Environmental Protection as well as local police have not yet been returned.

"He said Saturday that it's more than likely living on Halsey (a private Island on Lake Hopatcong) in wooded area and coming over to the houses to feed cause it's directly across the surrounding docks," the Byram Cove Party page posted. "He also said unless someone gets lucky we probably will not catch it an will be around for months. That's all the info from state snake expert from south jersey."

http://www.nj.com/morris/index.ssf/2...r_account.html