5-Foot Rattlesnake Found Outside Office Building Near Blue Hills

BRAINTREE (CBS) -- A five-foot rattlesnake was found outside the entrance to an office building near the Blue Hills Tuesday afternoon, authorities said.

Massachusetts Environmental Police said officers relocated the Timber Rattlesnake, which is endangered because of its declining population. They posted video of an officer capturing the snake and putting it in a container.

Timber Rattlesnakes are venomous, but experts say they "just want to be left alone." The last known Massachusetts death due to a Timber Rattlesnake bite was in 1791.

Read More About The Timber Rattlesnake

"If you run into one, they will give you advance notice through the form of the rattle," Environmental Police Lt. Scott Amanti told WBZ NewsRadio 1030. "Make sure you stay away from them."

Unlike other North American rattlesnakes, Timber Rattlesnakes don't have stripes or bands on their heads, and have a solid black tail. Wildlife officials say they have been reported in Berkshire County, the Connecticut River Valley and the Boston area.