WFMJ.com News weather sports for Youngstown-Warren OhioLarge snakes spotted in Austintown

Large snakes spotted in Austintown

AUSTINTOWN, Ohio - The sighting of a large snake in the woods of Austintown Township Park had the phones ringing all day Wednesday in the supervisor's office.

What people were seeing is a black rat snake a snake not uncommon to the area.

The snakes range from four to seven feet long and are harmless to humans.

During warm months and sunny days they are more visible in trees.

"The male and female snakes are out trying to find each other for that very purpose to," said Ford Nature Center Naturalist Ray Novotny. "So where they may be sedentary other times of the year, sleeping away something they have eaten, this is the time to get out and about to look for romance."

The snakes will eat chipmunks, mice and bird eggs and leave the trees at night to find food. The snake's habitat is far from any recreation areas at the park.