UPDATE: Search Continues for Snake in Neighborhood Near Geneva

Photo caption: Katy Lundsteen, of Suburban Wildlife Control, searches a Geneva neighborhood Tuesady for the snake. Photo credit: NBC Chicago video

UPDATE: The search continues for a snake on the loose in the Mill Creek subdivision near Geneva.

Husband and wife Brad and Katy Lundsteen, of St. Charles-based Suburban Wildlife Control, were unable to turn up the snake Wednesday, according to the Kane County Chronicle. They searched for the snake near a house on Revere House Lane where it was first reportedly spotted.

They also set up a trap for the snake. Weather conditions may have contributed to the pair not being able to track down the snake, Brad Lundsteen told the Kane County Chronicle.

“It’s not going to come out until it’s warm out or sunny,” he said. “Once it gets sunny, it will be out again.”

Read more on the Kane County Chronicle.

The above information was updated at 8:30 a.m. on Thursday.

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Original Article: A snake spotted in a Geneva neighborhood and initially thought to be a poisonous cottonmouth water moccasin may have been incorrectly identified, wildlife experts said Wednesday morning.

The snake was initially spotted by a roofer in the Mill Creek Subdivision this past week. The roofer, who spoke broken English, told wildlife experts he took a picture of the snake and then provided them with a photo, said Brad Lundsteen with Suburban Wildlife Control.

“It was a cottonmouth for sure,” Lundsteen said of the picture.

The only problem was that wildlife experts later learned the roofer did not actually take the photo. Instead, he did a search on Google and found a picture that he said resembled the snake he saw.

“It could be a case of mistaken identity,” Lundsteen said.

The picture of the snake was shared in Chicago news reports and has Geneva residents on edge. One Geneva resident spent several hours calling hospitals around the state to track down the anti-venom that could, possibly, be flown in if needed since no local hospitals carry the treatment, NBC Chicago reports

But, the question that remains as of Wednesday morning, is if there is actually a deadly snake on the loose in Geneva or if the snake spotted is completely harmless.

Lundsteen and his wife, Katy, will continue their search for the snake Wednesday and are hoping to turn up some answers soon.

“If there is a snake out there, we are going to catch it,” Brad Lundsteen said.

Lundsteen said they also hope to talk again to the roofer who initially spotted the snake to get more information.

Cottonmouth snakes are not typically found in this part of the state. They are also not usually aggressive but will attack if agitated. If they do bite, the snakes can cause very severe, and sometimes fatal, damage, according to the National Zoo website.

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