Stiff Penalties for Disturbing Snake Nests in Montgomery

Snapping a selfie with a huge snake in the park may seem like a great idea but experts say your photo could kill the snake's babies. 

William Haast and his son Billy were watching the sun rise on Lake Whetstone's shores when they came upon a large Burmese Python.

"We saw some people out there taking some pictures of it. So, we went up, and you could see a huge clutch of eggs in the reeds," said Haast.

That’s the last thing local herpetological scientists want park visitors to do.

"We're hearing reports of them encroaching on nesting sites just to get a selfie," said Esther Anderson from the Montgomery Village Reptile Habitat Conservation Administration.

Anderson says doing that could endanger hatchlings. She says overwhelming a Burmese Python could trigger a false slither, when a snake tries to lay its eggs, but then is met by a group of parks visitors making it nervous. That snake then dips into the water, getting rid of its eggs in the pond or stream.

Montgomery and Frederick Counties are reporting as many as 1,500 nests, while DC is reporting 2,600 nests along the Potomac and Anacostia rivers. Mid-Atlantic Python lay eggs in October before the first freeze, and hatchlings emerge in mid- to late-April. 

A Burmese Python could potentially lay 120 eggs per nest. That many nests could lead to a bumper crop of baby snakes, tempting visitors to take a closer look at a hatchling making its way into the world.

In Montgomery County, removing any wild animal from park land is illegal, and Burmese Python are protected species. Interacting with them can carry a penalty: destroying a python nest or eggs is a third-degree felony, punishable by up to a $5,000 fine and/or five years in prison.

"Well, they can certainly be penalized and even arrested. There have been some cases where we've had people arrested because they've been harassing snakes at Lake Whetstone," said Anderson.