Coiled nope rope by the Charles

By adamg on Mon, 07/19/2021 - 10:22pm

Snake near the Charles River in West Roxbury

This snake was hanging out this afternoon in Millennium Park in West Roxbury, near where Sawmill Brook enters the Charles.

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Comments

Looks scary, but just a

By Qestia on Tue, 07/20/2021 - 6:31am.

Looks scary, but just a friendly harmless milksnake https://www.wildlife.state.nh.us/wildlife/profiles/milk-snake.html.

Northern Water Snake, not milk snake

By anon on Tue, 07/20/2021 - 10:19am.

Milk snakes have smooth scales but this snake's scales are keeled (kind of a ridge running down the middle of each one). Also much more likely to encounter a water snake near water like at that location. Milk snakes prefer drier upland areas.

https://www.wildlife.state.nh.us/wildlife/profiles/water-snake.html

FB local groups and Nextdoor

By SwirlyGrrl on Tue, 07/20/2021 - 11:14am.

At least once a year we get some report like this:

[picture of giant ass milksnake or eastern ratsnake]

Is this your pet? I found it in my driveway. If your snake escaped please come pick it up!

[giant snek as native snek education event ensues]

Harmless yes, milk snake, less certain

By Allstonian on Tue, 07/20/2021 - 11:36am.

It looks like a water snake to me - heavier in the body, keeled scales, bolder stripes along the mouth, no stripe through the eye, and slightly different "saddle" spotting. Either way, certainly harmless.

Oh, please

By BostonDog on Tue, 07/20/2021 - 7:39am.

Snakes are awesome and that's a nice photo. Consider yourself lucky for seeing one.

They pose no harm to humans in New England*, they are native, they eat mice and rats, and they are interesting to look at. They are great critters.

Unless you're a vole, enjoy native snakes.

*Yes, there is a very small population of Timber Rattlers in Western Mass. You won't find one in the Commonwealth and you won't be bit unless you make that your lifelong goal.

Blue Hills has rattlesnakes

By Parkwayne on Tue, 07/20/2021 - 7:47am.

Unsure if the variety matters? To be clear, I agree with your overall sentiment in spite of all the fevered talk of water moccasins at the ponds when I was a kid.

Maybe a very few

By BostonDog on Tue, 07/20/2021 - 8:03am.

It's possible there are a few Timber Rattlers in the Blue Hills but it's estimated there's only 200-300 in the state total with a vast majority in the woodlands further West.

To be scared of getting bit by a Timber Rattlesnake in the Blue Hills is akin to being scared of being hit by a car being driven by Mike Dukakis. I mean, it's possible.

Rattlesnake Cluster in the Blue Hills

By John Costello on Tue, 07/20/2021 - 9:04am.

No where near Great Blue Hill.

The cluster is north of 128, east of Randolph Avenue, west of Wood Road behind where Haemonetics used to be.

You are not going to get bit by the GBH transmission tower.

yupp

By anon on Tue, 07/20/2021 - 9:44am.

Pretty sure we found one at the property line of Granite Links several years back

https://www.wickedlocal.com

By Dave on Tue, 07/20/2021 - 1:30pm.

https://www.wickedlocal.com/news/20180830/rattlesnake-brings-police-to-b...

https://www.universalhub.com/2018/braintree-becoming-quite-snakebit-town

Possibly fewer now

By lbb on Tue, 07/20/2021 - 9:41am.

I heard a story of some nutty guy who had made it his life's work (or at least a significant hobby) to eradicate rattlesnakes from the Blue Hills, and who would hunt them down and kill them, regulations be damned. Anyone else know of this?

Western Mass is the

By anon on Tue, 07/20/2021 - 10:14am.

Western Mass is the Commonwealth.

?

By lbb on Tue, 07/20/2021 - 3:29pm.

Are you missing your sippy cup?

Just posted in the wrong spot

By Allstonian on Tue, 07/20/2021 - 3:35pm.

Nope, they just replied to the wrong comment. Anon is responding to BostonDog's first comment above:

*Yes, there is a very small population of Timber Rattlers in Western Mass. You won't find one in the Commonwealth and you won't be bit unless you make that your lifelong goal.

2nd hand knowledge

By Parkwayne on Tue, 07/20/2021 - 10:32am.

My kid was at the Blue Hills nature camp two years back and they saw one on a trail up there (confirmed by the counselors). This is over above Chickatawbut Rd.