Photo of massive snake leads to public safety warning and search of Pennsylvania park

An unusual public safety warning was issued Thursday by Pennsylvania officials after someone spotted an alarmingly huge snake slithering around in a city park.

The Pittsburgh Public Safety Department shared a photo showing it was several feet long and seen wound around a tree at Frick Park, the city’s largest park at 644 acres.

“A witness stated the snake did not appear to be a native species. It is not yet verified as to what type of snake it is,” the department said in a release.

“Public Safety is warning the public, if you come across a large snake you are not familiar with, stay (a)way and immediately notify police.”

In an update posted later Thursday, Pittsburgh Animal Care & Control reported reptile specialists at the Pittsburgh Zoo had identified the snake as a black rat snake. “While not commonly seen in the park, this harmless species of snake is native to the area,” the department added.

The city’s social media posts racked up more than 3,000 shares, comments and reactions in just a few hours, including jokes about officials putting out an “APB on a native species chilling in the woods.” Others debated the idea it was a native snake.

“It is most definitely not a rat snake,” one man posted on the city’s Twitter feed. “The picture shows it’s about as around as a large person’s forearm. It’s most likely a pet python some jackass decided to release rather than dispose of if they couldn’t find it a proper new home.”

“After seeing the size of this snake, I’m honestly impressed the witness stayed long enough to snap a picture instead of immediately running away,” another person wrote.

The photo showed up later in the day on multiple snake identification sites, where experts seemed to agree it’s not a threat to humans.

Rat snakes are not venomous, can exceed 8 feet and are native to Pennsylvania, Paherps.com reports. The species is considered the state’s largest snake and a heavy bodied species, the site says.

The snakes feed on small rodents and are “adept climbers that can scale brick walls as well as tree trunks,” according to the Savannah River Ecology Laboratory at the University of Georgia. “When frightened they often assume a ‘kinked’ posture and remain motionless. They will vibrate the tail and expel malodorous musk.”

This story was originally published April 8, 2021 at 11:12 AM with the headline "Photo of massive snake leads to public safety warning and search of Pennsylvania park."