Name That Snake

A week after a missing snake from the Bronx Zoo was found in the Reptile House, a name the snake contest was held. On Thursday, New Yorkers cast their votes: of the five names — Agnes (Greek for holy), Amaunet (Egyptian goddess), Cleopatra (Pharoah claimed to kill herself by a snake bite), Subira (Egyptian for patient), and Mia (for missing in action) — Mia won out.

Here are some suggestions from Lehman staff, students and visitors about what they thought the slippery Egyptian cobra should be called.

High school student Alexis Shivers, 18, who was visiting Lehman College says, “I’d go for Mia, since it sounds like a pretty match,” said high school student Alexis Shivers, 18, who was visiting campus that day.

However, 30-year-graduate studies worker Sebastian Burgos would have called her Cleopatra.

“The name Cleopatra is regal sounding,” Burgos said. “Its dominant personality fits the snake pretty well.”

“They should call it Anaconda because it reminds me of the movie,” said Christian Quiles, a senior at Lehman College. “Actually no, let’s give it a regular name like Nancy for the heck of it.”

“Houdini because he escaped and did the disappearing trick,” said Lehman student James Alvarez.

“NBS. Natural born snake,” said Amir Amna, a Lehman student from Queens. “He wants to get out. Who the hell wants to be confined?”

Darrel Martinez, an 18-year-old Lehman College freshman, said he would name the snake after Los Angeles Lakers basketball superstar Kobe Bryant, whose nickname is the Black Mamba, another deadly snake.

“He’s deadly,” Martinez said. “He destroys every team and the Black Mamba is the deadliest snake on earth.”

Vincent Sandella, an IT Center staffer, said: “(Mayor) Bloomberg because he is the biggest snake in New York.”

Reported by Lennin Reyes, Anddy Matos, Nile Gayle, Ian Alexander and Desiree Mensah.