Does Point Beach Have a Lake Snake?

It's big, it's moving in Silver Lake and it's been seen by a number of residents and "Muskrat Jack."

"I saw something moving in the water, but I'm not sure if it's a snake," said Jack Neary, commonly known as "Muskrat Jack," who is the animal control officer for Point Pleasant Beach.

"Nothing has been confirmed, there is no reason to panic," he said on Wednesday afternoon.

Neary said a number of residents have been calling him during the past few weeks to report they saw something "weird" in the lake that was moving and large.

"No one said it was a snake, they weren't sure what it was," Neary said. "Some people thought it might be a seal or an otter."

So Neary, who has at least a few decades of experience identifying and working with multiple species large and small, went to the lake on Tuesday morning to see for himself.

"I saw what appeared to be a snake about 100 feet from where I was standing," he said.

"It was large and moving through the water. But I'm not sure it was a snake."

He said he talked to state experts who, based on his description, think it might be some sort of python, but that's just speculation at this point.

Neary said if the mysterious moving thing in the water turns out to be a snake, it might be a pet that escaped or that was let loose in the lake by its former owner.

"This is unusual for a lake in Point Pleasant Beach," he said. "But nationwide, it's very common that someone has a pet that escapes and it's not reported."

Detective Patrick Petruzziello said on Wednesday afternoon that Neary will continue to check the lake and stay in touch with the state Division of Fish and Wildlife.

The detective's advice should anyone spot any slithery, slimy species: "Stay away, don't try to catch it and call us."

He said police have asked lakefront residents to keep their eyes open for anything unusual in the water and to report any such sightings to the police department at (732) 892-0500.