As I was working in my vegetable garden the other day, I found a new “friend.”
His name is George, and he is a juvenile black rat snake.
He was hiding under our gutter downspout, and after a quick meet and greet with the girls, he was returned to back to where we found him.
Black rat snakes are native to Maryland. They are harmless snakes and actually help to control the rodent population. If you find a snake skin around the yard or in your house, the chances are it is from a black rat snake. While George may not look like a typical solid black black rat snake, it is because he is still young. As he gets older his color will darken and the pattern will become less distinct.