Woman Spooked After Stumbling Across 5-Foot Rattlesnake In Milton

MILTON, MA — A woman hiking in Blue Hills Reservation almost stepped on a rattlesnake this weekend.

Sarah Kleinman, of Dorchester, says she was taking her weekly walk when she found a rattlesnake just before her feet Sunday. "My first thought was that it escaped from the zoo," the Boston Globe reported her saying.

"It was definitely the biggest snake I have ever seen," Kleinman was reported saying. "It just looked like it was in the wrong place."

The 5-foot-long snake was quite the sight, a seemingly abnormal find for the area, but Massachusetts wildlife officials say the reptile is right where it should be.

Kleinman says she found the snake a half-mile from the reservation's Chickatawbut Hill and recorded a quick video.

Massachusetts wildlife officials were able to identify the reptile as a Timber rattlesnake.

According to the Massachusetts Wildlife Preservation, Timber rattlesnakes are native to all New England states but are considered to be the most endangered species in Massachusetts.

There are only a small amount of places around the area where the rare snakes have been able to survive, and the Blue Hills Reservation is one of them.

The snakes' endangered status makes it illegal to disturb them, never mind try to kill them.

MassWildlife says that if you are to ever come into contact with one, to stay far away from it and contact local authorities.

Read the Boston Globe's full article and see the snake yourself here.