I forgot to tell you: we had a six-foot long black snake in our kitchen the other day. Actually, it was on tax day (which seemed appropriate, some long dark arm of government reaching into our private domain).

Evidently, the snake snuck in while the door was open during a lengthy delivery of windows.

It was immediately clear that the snake, once it got its bearings, wanted no more to do with me than I wanted to do with him. So he slithered beneath the overhang of our cabinets and proceeded to slink under our sofa in the sitting room. And stayed there 'til the nice man from critter cop came with a grabber, gloves and a bag and snatched the snake, ever-so-gently, bagged it and took it out to release it.

My friend, Charlie, has since told me that the (1) the snake was not dangerous and that (2) the state is interested in such stories. Preferably with pictures.

The Natural History Society of Maryland and the MD Department of Natural Resources are jointly conducting a five-year reptile population project called MARA: The Maryland Amphibian and Reptile Atlas.

"The goal of the MARA project is to document the current distributions of Maryland’s amphibian and reptile species using a systematic and repeatable approach.... The information gained through your volunteer effort will be used to promote the conservation and protection of Maryland’s 90+ species of frogs, toads, salamanders, turtles, lizards, and snakes. Understanding the current distribution patterns of amphibians and reptiles within the state is needed to create effective conservation strategies."

So, if you bump into a snake while out walking, mowing, or hanging your laundry out to dry (just thought I'd mention this now that summer is coming), please take a photo of it and send it along to MARA at atlas@marylandnature.org.



They can even tell you what kind of snake you saw. 


Happy hunting.