While enjoying a family trip to Ocean City, Maryland, Roxanne Flanagan was startled by her daughter’s panicked screams coming from the shoreline.
“I ran down there to see what was going on,” Flanagan stated. “As I’m running, all I hear is her screaming, ‘It’s a snake! It’s a snake!’ And I’m thinking, ‘It’s probably just a stick that washed up.’”
But her daughter wasn’t imagining things. Slithering through the sand was not driftwood, but an eastern hog-nosed snake: a harmless, misunderstood beach visitor.
Despite their dramatic appearance, eastern hog-nosed snakes pose no danger to people. In fact, they’re famously shy, The Dodo reports.
“They’re so non-confrontational that they’ll often roll over and play dead when they encounter humans,” said Beth Schlimm, a herpetologist with the Maryland Department of Natural Resources.
These snakes are right at home in sandy environments, where they use their distinctive upturned noses to dig for prey. So while spotting one on the beach might seem surprising, it’s not unusual, although its proximity to people was likely a mistake.
Flanagan quickly encouraged her kids to back away and give the animal space. They watched from a distance as the snake attempted to swim into the ocean waves. Unsure of what to do next, the family called local authorities for guidance.
Soon after, Ocean City Animal Control arrived and carefully relocated the snake to a quieter, more suitable area nearby — away from the bustling beach crowds.
Schlimm emphasized the importance of preserving these animals’ natural habitats: “The biggest threat to the eastern hog-nosed snake is loss of habitat,” she said. “The best way people can help is by protecting the wild spaces they depend on.”
For this snake, the story ended peacefully, a gentle reminder that sometimes, the most unexpected beachgoers just want to be left alone.
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