A rather unusual creature turned up the last week in developed area bordering the Boseley Conservancy in Edgewood, Maryland. The northern brown snake (formerly called DeKay’s snake) is a small, harmless snake that while very common, isn’t seen too often in this area because of its secretive habits. Oddly, they are seen more in developed areas such as Baltimore City than in more natural areas you would expect. They look somewhat similar to the eastern garter snake in patten and actually give live birth rather than lay eggs as do many other snakes. This albino (possibly considered a partial albino) specimen, as with all albinos, are particularly rare. Due to the light coloration, many albino creatures have difficulty surviving since they can’t hide from their prey or predators, as well as their camouflaged counterparts. While we always believe in leaving wildlife in the wild, we felt that this snake had additional educational value and with such a low change of survival given where it was found and its coloration, was donated to the Anita C. Leight Estuary Center where it will be on display for the public to enjoy.
