Springfield police rescue lost rattler

A timber rattlesnake found lounging near the front stoop of a four-family home in downtown Springfield was rescued by animal control officers after a rattled resident thought better of going at it with a shovel.

Springfield’s animal control contractor received a call about 2 p.m. yesterday that a William Street resident had spotted the snake, said Officer Daniel Simpson of Thomas J. O’Connor Animal Control, who talked to the resident who was prepared to take matters into his own hands.

“The guy was actually going to kill it with a shovel, and I said good thing you didn’t, they are protected animals,” Simpson said. “He said he heard the rattle and he just got away from it.”

The officers used a net and pillow case to capture the snake. Massachusetts Environmental Police then arrived to transport it about 14 miles to Mount Tom in Holyoke, where it was released to a rattlesnake habitat area.

Simpson said the snake was located near a deck that all of the building’s residents use to enter and exit.

“A guy said he actually almost stepped on it, and then he got spooked,” Simpson said. “His dog has been going out and also had been scared lately.”

Simpson guessed someone had the snake as a pet and either released it or it escaped. It’s also possible, he said, that a bird of prey captured the snake and dropped it, though it didn’t appear injured.

“No way did it just travel that far into town,” Simpson said. “It was pretty weird. None us believed it was actually a rattlesnake. They’re pretty rare around here.”