Somehow, a Gaboon viper — whose home is the tropics of central and western Africa — was reportedly on the loose Monday in a Southern California neighborhood, police say. The supposed sighting of the extremely venomous viper, which has the longest fangs of any snake in the world, spurred the Santa Ana Police Department to issue a public advisory accompanied by exclamation points.
A man told police that he found the snake after his dogs alerted him to something on the shed and that he took a picture and called 911, a Santa Ana Police Department spokesperson said. Questions have since emerged about the authenticity of the photo. The snakes live on the ground and can weigh more than 45 pounds, according to the Smithsonian’s National Zoo & Conservation Biology Institute.
The image, meanwhile, shows the snake on top of a thin branch in a tree. The image also appears to show a branch going into the snake’s body, said Greg Pauly, a snake expert with the Natural History Museum of Los Angeles County. “As a herpetologist, I have several issues with this image,” Pauly said in a text message. “This snake would not climb up the trunk and then crawl out onto thin, weak branches.” “To get up high like that, either the roof structure needs to slope down towards the ground, the animal was placed there, or this is an AI generated image,” he added.
The department said it was investigating whether
The department said it was investigating whether the images shared of the snake were AI-created. For hours, officers and wildlife experts collaborated to look for the snake, the department said in social media updates. The president of the Southern California Herpetology Assn. and Rescue was brought in to help identify it, followed by other experts from the group. The reptile was “last seen in a tree within a residential neighborhood near Main Street and Edinger Avenue,” according to the department’s warning to the public.
“We are asking the public to please be aware of your surroundings. If you see the snake, DO NOT approach or attempt to handle it,” the department said in a post on social media. “Tell me when it’s captured!” one Instagram user responded, adding a covering eyes emoji. The viper, which has two hornlike projections on its snout, feeds mainly on rodents and ground-dwelling birds. It’s known for striking and then holding on until its prey dies.
The vipers are considered to be placid. According to the Smithsonian’s National Zoo & Conservation Biology Institute, “Most bites occur when the snake is stepped on before it has an opportunity to get away.” And if hungry, it will strike “at almost any sideways movement.” Females give birth to 50 to 60 live young, according to the institute. By Monday evening, the department announced it had cleared the area when nothing turned up after hours of searching.
“Please stay vigilant and use caution,” the department warned in an Instagram story, which disappears after 24 hours. “At this time, we have not identified any movement consistent with this type of snake. … If you see a snake matching the description, do not approach or attempt to capture it. Contact SAPD immediately.” Anyone who spots the snake is asked to provide the location to the department by calling (714) 834-4211.
