Black Mamba in Minnesota!

[TeeJay]

...or was it a deadly Water Moccasin? or maybe a Black Racer?? (Or a fan belt, piece of garden hose, portion of shredded truck tire???) I'm sure they'll get it identified some day.

Just found this on "not allowed":

http://ksax.com/article/stories/S168374 ... ?cat=10230

(Its embarassing)

[justinm]

How can you be a DNR officer and not know what that snake is? It's a Black Rat for certain. If I was a wildlife officer I would hope my supervisor would expect me to be able to ID native, and protected wildlife.

[Paul White]

yeah >.> There was one from springfield MA where they ID'd a bullsnake as an anaconda

[Chris Smith]

Nice!

Justin- Black ratsnakes are rare (but not protected) in MN (and live nowhere near that county), most DNR biologist in MN specialize in large game (deer/bear/moose) and waterfowl. While this isn't an excuse, it is common in a LOT of wildlife professionals in this area.

Thanks for sharing this TeeJay!
-Chris

[gbin]

I'm ordinarily proud to be from MN, but not always... Poor snake! I'd hiss and spit, too, if somebody was stabbing at me with an ice pick!

If the DNR was unwilling to actually ID the snake for these hysterical people, I wonder why they didn't at least recommend contacting the MN Herpetological Society.

Gerry

[Chris Smith]

Gerry- Usually the DNR refers people to the MHS when they do not want to deal with a reptile/amphibian issue. I am on the MHS board of directors and did not see this come in via e-mail/phone. The MN DNR herpetologists did properly ID the snake, but news jumped the gun (as usual).

-Chris

[Nigel Smith]

"The DNR also said that there has never been a documented natural rat snake in Stearns County. This means if the snake was natural, it would be the first of it's kind in that area."

ouch!

[Ross Padilla]

It doesn't surprise me but it is ridiculous and funny it actually made the news.

[troy hibbitts]

Nice!

most DNR biologist in MN specialize in large game (deer/bear/moose) and waterfowl. While this isn't an excuse, it is common in a LOT of wildlife professionals in this area.

Its common for most Wildlife LE officers and a significant percentage of the biologists in most states . . . so long as hunting licenses pay the bills, anyway.

Troy

[JakeScott]

I was thinking the same thing as Ross...THIS made the news? They didn't try and fact check it before they aired it? Any novice reptile interested individual could ID that. My 10 year old nephew knows what that is. But, that wouldn't be news, now would it?

-Jake Scott

[Jason_Hood]

This reminds me of a story here in Chicago where a postal worker saw a snake, got a cell phone pic, and then declared it a massasagua. Never mind that it was outside of the historic range and in the wrong habitat and that it was identified as a fox snake by local USF&W, the headline

"Feds can't agree on snake ID"

HAHA Apparently the postal service is just as qualified to identify wildlife as the US Fish and Wildlife. hahaha

Jason

[b_rickard]

that is definitely a black mamba! Since that was found in MN I will need to reapply for a job with the local DNR since they clearly cannot give a definite ID. I just know that there are more of them around. I will be needed to save the populace of MN from the worlds deadliest snake!!

[BOOGY]

not even a dead mamba...

[FunkyRes]

that is definitely a black mamba! Since that was found in MN I will need to reapply for a job with the local DNR since they clearly cannot give a definite ID. I just know that there are more of them around. I will be needed to save the populace of MN from the worlds deadliest snake!!

yeah, especially before the pythons get there.

When the black mambas start mating with the pythons, MN is going to have one hell of a problem.

[fpc40]

that is definitely a black mamba! Since that was found in MN I will need to reapply for a job with the local DNR since they clearly cannot give a definite ID. I just know that there are more of them around. I will be needed to save the populace of MN from the worlds deadliest snake!!

yeah, especially before the pythons get there.

When the black mambas start mating with the pythons, MN is going to have one hell of a problem.

there is just no way that MN could survive the burmese mambas.

[BOOGY]

Ha ha just imagine venomous constrictors. Yikes.

[Brairpatch]

Its gotta be a black mamba , black rats have never been documented in that county...well till now I guess. Too bad.

Justin, youd be surprised what most Game Wardens, Wildlife Officers dont know.


Greg