From Jack, this picture was taken at a location near Little Pine Creek on Thursday, June 27th. Birds were making a lot of noise about a large snake there early that morning.
The PA Fish and Boat Commission website is a good place look when you are trying to identify snakes like this one. The Commission has jurisdiction over reptiles and amphibians in the Commonwealth and the website has a link to a listing of the 21 species of snakes generally recognized as indigenous to Pennsylvania. The site has this information about the Eastern Ratsnake:
While the Eastern Ratsnake is the largest of the indigenous snakes, it is nonvenomous. There are only three venomous species: the Eastern Copperhead, Timber Rattlesnake, and the Eastern Massasauga. The majority of snakes in Pennsylvania are nonvenomous, harmless, and usually beneficial to man.
Thanks Jack for the great post very informative! Do you have something to share? It's easy! Just send me an email telling the story behind your post and if you have a couple of photos include them in your email. You can reach me at StephenCPlut@Gmail.com
Thanks Jack, people are too quick to kill snakes without THInking! They benefit us.