Dead 14-foot python found in Medford, state says
State Department of Environmental Conservation officers found a dead, 14-foot reticulated python on the side of a Medford road last month. Credit: DEC
A snake "curled up in a ball" and spotted on a Medford road on Valentine's Day turned out to be a 14-foot reticulated python, which had died, the state Department of Conservation said.
That species, the world's longest and one of its heaviest snakes, also excels at swimming.
It cannot be owned as a pet in New York. Anyone who has one must have a Dangerous Animal License, the department said in a March 1 bulletin announcing some of the exploits of its environmental conservation police officers, who handle everything from rescuing lost hikers to the illegal black market pet trade.
Officers Robert Kaufherr and Emilio Zullo "received a report of a large snake, approximately 12 feet in length, on the side of the road in the town of Medford," the DEC said. They removed and "appropriately" disposed of the creature.
"An investigation into the owner of the snake is ongoing," the DEC said.
