A very large, unidentified snake takes a stroll through Pittsburgh park

On Thursday, park-goers in Pittsburgh were treated to a startling surprise.

Animal control was called out to Frick Park regarding a very large snake.

The public was startled by the size of the snake as it was slithering up a tree. Many did not know what species of snake it actually was. Public safety officials would go on to issue a warning and told individuals to stay away and notify the police if they saw it.

After speaking with a reptile specialist, officials quickly were able to identify the snake as a black rat snake-- which is actually pretty common to the area.

The snake is actually harmless to humans, but because of the size and the fact that it did not seem threatened by the commotion in the park, it probably is a safe bet to stay away.

“It’s the largest species you’ll find here in PA. They’re a fairly common snake and given the wildlife, you might find in a park, the common name rat snake indicates it eats mammals...,” Henry Kacparzyk, a reptile curator, stated, according to WPXI.

Story via WPXI