FLORIDA — Robert F Kennedy Jr. picked up a pair of writhing black racer snakes with his bare hands on a Florida patio on Tuesday and posted a video of the incident. He stated in a caption that he was removing the snakes from Dr. Mehmet Oz's Florida beach house.

In the video, Kennedy said, "Black snakes, they’re biting me." He also posted, "Cheryl cheerleads the removal of a pair of Black Racers from Dr Oz's patio." Kennedy was wearing a shirt, trousers, socks, and no shoes during the encounter.

Cheryl Hines, Kennedy's wife, can be heard in the video saying, "Honey, honey, why?" She added, "Bobby, please! Bobby, Bobby, please."

Black racer snakes are non-venomous and harmless to humans as long as they are left alone, according to the National Park Service. The Florida Museum of Natural History noted that black racers will readily bite to defend themselves but are not venomous, and virtually all bites occur when the snakes are intentionally molested.

Dr. Mehmet Oz leads the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services, which is part of the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services led by Kennedy. The Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission warned people to stay away from snakes as they become more active in the spring. "Give snakes a wide berth and admire them from a distance," the commission said in a Facebook post. It added, "Resist the urge to pick it up—even our nonvenomous snakes can give a solid bite."