Pa. Fish and Boat Commission urging locals to be aware of snakes as weather warms
PITTSBURGH (KDKA) - The sun's starting to shine, and it's warming up, and that means snakes will be on the move.
The Pa. Fish and Boat Commission wants locals to be snake aware this spring and summer.
Most of the 21 species that call Pennsylvania home are not only harmless but they eat things we could do without, such as pests, mice, and insects.
But three types are poisonous and definitely will need a little extra space.
The copperhead, the eastern Massasauga rattlesnake, and the timber rattlesnake are ones to watch out for.
"The typical response might be to scream and run. But honestly, snakes are not really interested in having interactions with humans. So, the best thing to do is to recognize that there's a snake within your area and slowly back away and move off. And there should be a very little chance of anything bad happening," Mike Parker said. Parker acts as the communications director for the Pa. Fish and Boat Commission.
"Snakes are coming out of that winter hibernation period. So, they don't like cold; they're a cold-blooded species, so they need the warmth of the sun. They're coming out to bask in the sun, and it gives them energy. They go out, they begin feeding, and that whole life process of a snake really begins in the spring and ends in the fall," Parker added.
They want people to know all species of snakes in Pennsylvania are protected, and you cannot legally kill snakes without special permits or licenses.