An unusual sight caught the attention of several individuals in Iowa County, Wisconsin, when a "very large" dead snake was found discarded along a rural road.
It is believed that the non-native snake may have met its end after living in captivity for a significant time, according to WMTV 15 News. Officials claimed the snake was brought to a veterinary clinic for a medical emergency and died there. However, instead of burying it like they were supposed to, the former owner allegedly did not handle the situation appropriately.
The massive snake lying along the side of the road understandably caught passing motorists by surprise. The sheriff's office did not mention the species of the snake, but said it was "very large."
"We have many snakes in this area, but based on the size in the photos we received, we realized this was not a typical local species," stated Iowa County Sheriff Michael Peterson.
Village of Arena Fire Chief Todd Pinkham and others removed the huge snake from the side of the road, and it is reportedly now buried. The Sheriff's office reported that the snake's owner had reached out, and Peterson is working with the Iowa County district attorney's office to determine the next steps.
"With any animal that passes, you shouldn't discard them just alongside the roadway," Peterson said. "They need to be properly taken care of."
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While risks can be lower if a species is confirmed dead, that advice from the sheriff is particularly important for non-native animals and plants. Invasive species are a significant problem for local ecosystems because they typically spread quickly and outcompete native species for natural resources. Florida has been dealing with a much larger snake problem, as Burmese pythons are wreaking havoc across the Everglades, devouring native animals.
While a confirmed dead snake is not as likely to cause an invasive species issue, there is always the possibility the animal is not actually dead or had an unknown pregnancy, or it could be carrying bacteria or parasites that themselves are not native to the area and capable of causing harm.
Florida's python problem started primarily through the exotic pet trade in the 1980s and '90s. WMTV 15 spoke to John Moyles, the director of a local animal rescue, and he had some advice for anyone with unwanted exotic pets.
"If you have a pet that you can't take care of anymore and you introduce it into the wild, it's probably not going to survive," Moyles said. "But it could, and then it could become an invasive species. And in the time that it is surviving, it could be passing along diseases, which could impact native wildlife populations, and those diseases themselves could become invasive species."
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