The large shed snakeskin found Aug. 20 in Riverbank Park, which set off a national frenzy over “Wessie” the snake, belongs to an anaconda.

In a press release Tuesday afternoon, Westbrook Police Chief Janine Roberts said, “We do not know if the snake skin was planted as a hoax or if it was actually left there by an Anaconda.”

The testing and identification was done by John Placyk, an associate professor of biology at the University of Texas at Tyler. He volunteered his services to the police department following national news reports about the shed being found.

After consulting with Placyk and other snake experts, the police department is offering some info and safety tips to residents, including that an anaconda cannot survive the Maine winter.

The release states that anacondas are likely to be in or around water, and will try to get away, via water, if confronted by people.

“Our experts estimate the snake that the skin came from to be around 8-9 feet long. An anaconda of that size is a juvenile snake and is not a threat to humans. It would, however, be a threat to small pets such as a cat or small dog,” Roberts said. “Continue to be vigilant and aware of your surroundings. Don’t approach any snake or try to capture it. If you see a large snake, call 911 and direct officers to the area where you saw it.”

Sightings of the snake, since dubbed Wessie, were first reported in late June. Two police officers also reported watching the snake eat a beaver along the riverbank in downtown Westbrook, creating a local buzz around the snake that resulted in t-shirts, and even beer, created with the Wessie name.

Westbrook resident David Corkery stumbled upon the shed skin on Aug. 20 after more than a month of no new sightings or evidence of Wessie, launching the story into overdrive. Many experts, however, argue that Wessie is most likely a hoax, drawing on evidence they see in the snakeskin photo taken by a Westbrook police officer.

Roberts said the Westbrook Police Department is continuing to work with specialists to “strategize on ways to locate and capture or euthanize the snake.”