Experts believe the snake, an 8-foot-long Burmese python, indigenous to Southeast Asia, not native to New Jersey or the U.S. Northeast, is an abandoned pet. The timber rattlesnake colors vary. Some are yellow or brownish and some are black and grey.

Forbes contributors publish independent expert analyses and insights. I write about biodiversity and the hidden quirks of the natural world. More than 4,200 species of snakes exist on the planet and most are not dangerously venomous. So, which do humans ...