Sounds like bogus to me.





A rare African White python - categorized by its owner as large, aggressive and difficult to handle - could be on the loose in Oshkosh.



The snake is more than 21 feet in length and weighs about 71 pounds, according to a message left by its owner on Craigslist. The owner, who has not been identified, said the snake escaped from its cage between 7 and 10:30 p.m. on Monday. The snake is believed to have made its way through the dryer vent housing and into the outside world.



The owner has offered a reward for the return of the rare python.



The city’s municipal code states that snakes not indigenous to Wisconsin, are poisonous or exceed more than three feet in length are not allowed. The fine is $232 if someone breaks the law in that regard.



Oshkosh police, however, are skeptical of the missing snake claim and believe it is bogus. Police said the owner did not leave a name, phone number to be contacted and where they lived and no one has contacted police of a missing snake.



Rhonda Velie, of the Oshkosh Area Humane Society in Oshkosh who deals with reptiles at the shelter, said pythons like warm places and they do not do well in the cold. Temperatures in Oshkosh the past few days have been below freezing.



She said it’s hard to say if the snake is still alive.



"They don’t do well in the cold, but pythons are great escape artists and very good about finding their way to warm places," Velie said. "A lot of times if it’s not warm enough a python will almost go into a hibernation state. Possibly, it could be lethargic if it can’t find a heat source. Their body really slows down."



She said a lost snake or animal will be stressed out and fearful when it’s out of its element.



"Which means (the python) could be more aggressive as a defense mechanism," Velie said.



Pythons are constrictors, but they can bite, Velie said.



"If the snake is as big as they say, it can bite a person or a pet," she said.



The Northwestern will update this story as more information becomes available.

www.thenorthwestern.com/article/20101222/OSH0101/101222076/Watch-where-you-step-python-possibly-on-loose

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