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HERALD NEWS (Chicago, Illinois) 19 October 04 Scales of justice: Snake riles lawyer (Joe Hosey)
A former judge and prosecutor believes a gigantic snake lurking in his yard was left there by a troublesome neighbor, police said.
Private attorney Ed Masters reported the matter to police Sunday, but also had officers at his house when the snake reared its ugly head outside his Westridge Road home Oct. 9.
Masters was working in his back yard when he noticed the 6-foot-long snake coiled in a windowsill. He first thought that the snake was fake or dead, but then he saw its head move, police said.
He then snapped a photograph of the snake with the camera in his cellular telephone. Masters — who served as a judge from 1988 to 1994, the last three years as chief judge — also called police.
Masters "told the officer he wanted the snake removed or he would kill it himself with his shotgun," according to a police report.
Masters then provided the officer with a broomstick, which the cop used to lift the snake off the windowsill and drop in a nearby creek.
Masters said he did not wish to kill the snake. At the same time, he did not want it on his windowsill and felt his options were limited.
"The only reason I was thinking of doing this was we called Animal Control and nothing happened," he said Monday. Masters also said the snake appeared dangerous and that it "could take a baby and small dog and kill it."
Masters said he showed his picture of the snake to the proprietor of a local pet store and learned that it was a boa constrictor.
If the snake is indeed a boa constrictor, it may survive the winter and could pose a threat to pets and small children, said Vanessa Robertson of King Neptune's Pet World in Shorewood.
"If they got big enough, sure," Robertson said of the possibility of a boa constrictor attacking a child or dog.
The snake would have to fill its belly sufficiently and get deep enough into the ground to hibernate through the winter, she said.
Boa constrictors can grow to 10 feet in length and exceed weights of 60 pounds in captivity, according to the Lincoln Park Zoo's Web site. Boa constrictors range from northern Mexico south through Argentina, the site says, and the species is considered an adequate swimmer.
Masters suspects that a problematic neighbor from his Timber Estates subdivision placed the snake on the windowsill, said Police Chief David Gerdes.
"He's had problems in the neighborhood," Gerdes said. "He's concerned that someone in the neighborhood let it go by his window.
"At this point, there's no indication there was any wrongdoing," the chief said. "It's still being investigated."
Scales of justice: Snake riles lawyer

Hopefully I get a response from the author, I have had pretty good luck in the past. Wes you may remember a few of them.

Dear Mr. Hosey,

My name is Jeff West and I would like to respond to your recent
article Scales of justice: Snake riles lawyer. I found a number of
things very troubling about your article and would like to address
them. Let me preface this by saying that I have been keeping various
types of snakes and reptiles for approximately 10 years and breeding
them just as long. One of the species I work with is Boa Constrictors.

The first point I would like to make about your article is why in
the world would the police officer drop an "exotic" animal into a
creek? Wouldn't it make a world more sense to bring it to a shelter I
mean these are not dangerous snakes by any means they could have
dropped it off at any pet store for that matter. Releasing a non
native species into the wild can cause a lot of eco system problems
but since it WILL NOT and let me repeat that again WILL NOT live
through the winter it will not be able to cause any harm. The person
you contacted at the pet store in Shorewood is so far off base it is
not even funny. A Boa Constrictor would never "attack a child" and as
for a family pet if it was small enough to be seen as food it could be
but remember a snake that size eats rats not rat terriers lol. I am so
angry at Vanessa Robertson of King Neptune's Pet World in Shorewood
because she obviously has absolutely no knowledge about the subject at
hand but still intends to comment on it. "if the snake is indeed a boa
constrictor, it may survive the winter and could pose a threat to pets
and small children" this line is ridiculous. Boas need temps of
approximately 80 plus degrees to live. Currently in Chicago and
surrounding areas it is in the 40's and 50's. A snake exposed to these
temperatures for any length of time would become extremely lethargic
and die after a pretty short amount of time. As for the snake
burrowing far enough underground it would probably have to find a way
to go about 10-12 feet below the ground, thats a pretty nifty feat for
an animal that doesn't burrow. I have no idea how this woman received
her job at the pet store but she needs to be fired for making such
ridiculous claims.

Well I guess I just wanted to say that if you ever need a reliable
reptile source feel free to contact me and not the crazy pet store
lady you contacted this time. Here is my contact info:

Jeff West
(edited)
McHenry, IL
60050
(Edited)

It really bothers me when people spread misinformation about the
animals that I love so much. The Boa that was wrongly released into
that stream is most likely already dead or on the brink of death and
has absolutely zero possibility of hurting anyone. He was most likely
in the window well to get warm either from a dryer vent or just the
heat coming from the inside through the window. So you can tell the
paranoid ex judge to relax and take it easy on the conspiracy theories
and that if he wasn't such a crabby old man he wouldn't make as many
enemies or at least think that he does.
-----
Jeff West

Well I must admit I saw many things wrong with the article and the main one was the Police Officer releasing the snake in the creek. As a Police Officer I find those actions to be irresponsible and not for the betterment of the public safety.
Now as far as the Boa’s chances of survival. Yup the statement about the boa going deep under ground to survive is stupid, however many exotic reptiles have survive winters in cold climates by climbing under the crawl spaces of homes and hugging a heat source all winter, such as hot water pipes or heat ducts. I would give the snake a better than even chance of surviving the winter. Their heat sensors not only are used for prey but will also give him the ability to find that needed warm spot to last out the winter.
Now the danger to family pets and small children…..
This is where the irresponsibility of the keeper of that animal comes into play. I think most of us who have been keeping reptiles for any length of time can remember the news showing the Boa Constrictor eating the neighbors small dog. I myself got a large female boa from a friend who’s son forgot to secure the cage and they found the boa wrapped around the family dog, luckily the dog was not killed and they were able to remove the snake. So there is no doubt that a family pet can be in danger to from a Boa Constrictor. The next issue about the children/small child is a point that is arguable, but still with a shred of merit. There is no doubt in my mind that a 10’ boa could consume an infant and although may not be able to consume a toddler could still easily wrap and kill a toddler that may have just got done playing with the family rabbit. We have all seen the reports of people being wrapped and killed by other large constrictors such as Burmese Pythons and Retics and although Boas will never get to that size they can still pose a true danger to small children. This is why it is so important to be responsible with your animals!. I doubt that the keeper of the reported Boa released it in the lawyers yard to scare him, heck I don’t like lawyers either, but I would not trade a good snake (boa) for a bad snake (Lawyer) ever, I have yet to find a lawyer worth such a trade. I would speculate that the snake was an accidental release/escape and just climbed onto the lawyers window ledge to get some sun and warmth. But with the battle that we had already waged in Chicago with the Exotic pet ban, this is just another example of poor herping.
Thanks for reading
-----
Jim Hopkins "Hoppy"
Hopkins Holesale Herps
Hopfam1@aol.com