Backyard Nature: Steer clear – but don’t fear – the black rat snake

Last week, we suggested that Rock Creek and Soapstone hikers keep their eyes peeled for native emphemeral wildflowers. From a reader, we get a timely suggestion to be on the lookout for another seasonal arrival: snakes.

This black rat snake was photographed on a baseball field in Columbia, Maryland by Flickr user FurryScaleMan.

From Anne Myers: “I was in Soapstone Park [one recent] afternoon and came across a black snake (teenager) in strike mode. (Probably due to foot traffic by him.) Just thought I mention it so if you’re down in the park you are aware of snakes out and about right now, especially since they are emerging from the winter and their mating season will soon begin.”

Rock Creek and its tributary parks are home to four snake species, all nonvenomous. The black rat snake is the largest, and largely harmless.

In a June 2021 Forest Hills Connection article, Ken Sands wrote of the snakes:

“They are not aggressive, but will strike if provoked. It’s best to simply walk around and leave them alone.”