This Snake is Pretty Common in MA but is it Harmful to Humans?

Berkshire County summers often bring out the wildlife as we have seen on a regular basis in local Facebook groups. From the look of it thus far, I think we are in for another Berkshire summer that will be home to plenty of bear activity as we have recently seen here.

Massachusetts and Berkshire County Folks are Also Experiencing Visits from Other Creatures

In addition to the furry friends, we have featured plenty of articles regarding insects and arachnids including ticks that carry the Powassan virus along with the mysterious ghost bugs which can cause swelling and pain. We certainly have a number of wild animals and pesky insects/arachnids that are looking to join the party in the Berkshires and Massachusetts this summer. Then again, many of them were here first so maybe it's more accurate to say that we are joining their party this summer.

Reptiles Want a Piece of the Berkshire Action as Well

Another group of friends we can look forward to seeing this summer is reptiles. Have you spotted any turtles in the middle of the road yet? It's a pretty common sight in the Berkshires. Another reptile I have seen plenty of lately are snakes, mainly of the garter type. I have seen one in my backyard while mowing the lawn but I have also seen some around the outside area of WSBS radio in Great Barrington. We all pretty much know that garter snakes are harmless and will leave you alone unless you provoke them.

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In Addition, There is Another Snake That is Common in and Around the Berkshires

Another snake that people are spotting in and around the Berkshires is the eastern milksnake. There was a pretty entertaining Facebook post recently where a woman was visiting the Berkshires. She was sitting on some outside steps and after she got up, she picked up her jacket and found a milksnake underneath the jacket and boy did she scream. She said it was a very primal scream. Who could blame her? Think about it. She was sitting on a snake. Check out the photo below.

There was also an incident a few years ago at WSBS Radio in Great Barrington where I came into my office at about 4 am and found what looked to be a milk snake wrapped around the cord of my office boom box/CD player. I was lucky enough to snap a photo. Check it out below.

Are Milksnakes Poisonous? Do We Need to be Worried?

Lucky for us, even though milk snakes are common to see in and around the Berkshires they are neither venomous nor poisonous. Keep your eyes open though, you'll never know when you'll find a milk snake laying underneath your jacket.

READ ON: Do you want to own an exotic pet? You may want to check this list first.

LOOK: Here are the pets banned in each state

Because the regulation of exotic animals is left to states, some organizations, including The Humane Society of the United States, advocate for federal, standardized legislation that would ban owning large cats, bears, primates, and large poisonous snakes as pets.

Read on to see which pets are banned in your home state, as well as across the nation.

Gallery Credit: Elena Kadvany

LOOK: Here Are 30 Foods That Are Poisonous to Dogs

To prepare yourself for a potential incident, always keep your vet's phone number handy, along with an after-hours clinic you can call in an emergency. The ASPCA Animal Poison Control Center also has a hotline you can call at (888) 426-4435 for advice.

Even with all of these resources, however, the best cure for food poisoning is preventing it in the first place. To give you an idea of what human foods can be dangerous, Stacker has put together a slideshow of 30 common foods to avoid. Take a look to see if there are any that surprise you.

Gallery Credit: Rachel Cavanaugh