My experience encountering eastern black rat snakes has mostly been uneventuful. Most of the time I am able to walk right up to them and pick them up without any issue. But on occaision they can show defensive posturing and even strike if you violate their personal space. In this short vid taken at a Fairfax County Park Trail partner Mike Gregory experiences one of those moments when its not a good idea to try and pick up Virginia’s largest snake. check out this exciting encounter