A rattlesnake was seen slithering through Old Town Alexandria over the weekend.
Someone called the Animal Welfare League of Alexandria (AWLA) after spotting the snake near the 400 block of Gibbon Street.
Animal Services officers captured the rattlesnake and took it to a wildlife facility. Officers didn't see any sign of more snakes or a nest.
The reptile, a timber rattlesnake, is extremely rare in the D.C. area, but it's not impossible for them to live in this climate, AWLA said.
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Timber rattlesnakes are a venomous, endangered species and it's not legal to own a rattlesnake in Alexandria without special licensing.
Officials say rattlesnakes will avoid contact with humans in most situations, and the public should never try to capture or move a wild a snake without assistance from Animal Services.
