The non-poisonous snakes are welcome in my yard. Most of my friends think I am crazy when I say that. Of course that are not true gardeners. Hee Hee! Here is a picture of a group of garter snakes having an orgy in one of my bushs.
This message was edited Oct 2, 2007 6:11 PM
Cool picture! Looks like he was posing to the picture.
I have those same ones in my yard.
chris
Those are too cool! LOL I was trying to find this thread earlier. I had found info about the kinking in Cynthia's picture....it stated that when they are scared or freightened they will do that "kinking" thing...cool huh!
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Black_Rat_Snake
LOL. Janet, the 3rd picture of the kinking looks like he needs a chiropractor
chris
I know, isn't that funny! I remembered seeing Cynthia's picture and she thought maybe the snake had swallowed another snake...so I wanted to post so she could see that...it really is funny!
Chris, there is about 5 snakes all tangled up in the picture. I was reaching to clear out leaves and stopped about 5 inches of grabbing the snakes. I think the only thing that keep them from striking is the fact that they were so tangled up together.
From what I have read. That looks like it is a "mating ball", so you may have many more soon, they give birth to live young that are a little bigger than a worm. They are actually cute when they are little.
Good thing you saw them before you grabbed them. I dont mind the snakes, but that would have made me jump out of my shoes.
chris
I've never known a garter snake to strike at a human. They're very docile and absolutely harmless. Don't let them scare you.
You've encountered different ones than I have, then... actually, I think their issue with me was that I was often trying to handle them, and garter snakes get ornery about that. Still, they're not venomous, and their bite does little damage even if they're really peeved. If you let them alone, they're generally happy to just glide on out of your way.
Cynthia, that's a great photo!
I just returned to Dave's and found this post again. I thought I would post that I found my first snake in the house last year. He was a large garter snake. I did not know they would get that large. I contacted animal control and they refuse to come and remove it. They told me that there was a big problem in my area with them come inside the house and that it was due to all of the rain running mice into the houses and the snakes were following after the mice. I told her that I did not have any mice, but later found some in the basement. 2 weeks and a snake stick later I found and removed him. I wish I knew how the mice and the snake got in. My friends and family think I am crazy to have stayed in the house for 2 weeks with a snake roaming around. I told them what animal control told me, that snake had probably been there for weeks and I just never saw him.
I don't mind a snake, as long as I see him first.
I always thought if you find a snake in your yard you probably have rodents too. So a snake is a good friend to have to control rodents. I would't ever kill any snake.
A big rattlesnake came into my yard when I lived in the north GA woods. It got the dog barking and the cat curious. I got the pets in the house and turned the cold water hose on the snake. He finally slithered off, never to be seen again. I guess he decided it wasn't a good neighborhood for him to hang around in.
We are up to our ears in snakes and I love most. The copperheads I can live without. My hound has been been bitten seventeen times (and counting) by copperheads. Each year we add a few notches to her belt. She hunts them. It's an expensive headache of anti-inflammatory meds and antibiotics each time. Our vet finally said. "Here are the meds; don't call". She has no fur around her mouth from scarring which gives her an ugly scowl.
There are old pics somewhere on Dave's of my rescue efforts with two corn snakes caught in bird netting. I saved one and lost the other and stopped using it after that. Turtles also get tangled.
Most snakes will go off well in advance of your seeing them but copperheads freeze and then you step on them. They are not deadly like rattlers but you'll be sick. We have shrews, voles, moles and mice in and around Maypop garden. Thank you to the snakes for helping me out. That said, I'm not happy when they climb into the bird houses and eat the babies. It's pretty upsetting to watch.
We were walking with the dogs on Monday morning, and I came across a copperhead, and that is exactly what he did, he froze. I thought he had been run over, but we still gave him a wide berth, and when I turned around after we were past him, he was gone.
We are at Maypop where we have spent several days repeatedly removing a black rat snake from on and around the house. It's bound and determined to eat the baby birds in the eaves, where there are several nests. Photos are on SO's phone. Will post pics when I get back to Atlanta.
This message was edited May 4, 2014 7:56 PM
Pretty cool.
I think it is a black racer or black rat snake.
Because of the belly I really believe it is a rat snake. I don't believe the belly on the racer is white, just the chin and throat.
Yes, I mentioned I thought it is a black rat snake above. They are common to our N. GA. property. We also have the occasional coachwhip which will rear up and gyrate, but look like they will strike, before they go spinning off in reverse. They are scary because they "stand" several feet while spinning on their body. We have only seen copperheads once at Maypop. Our main copperhead problem is here in Atlanta, in the middle of the city, where their habitats are being replaced by infill. We see them in the backyard, sunning on the driveway and in and around the culvert that runs under our driveway bridge.
Maypop... Maypop Island, by any chance?
LOL, Critter. If an island can be defined as seventeen acres and a pond in southern Appalachia it qualifies.
DD just moved back home from your neck of the woods a few weeks ago. She was your state preservationist. Her SO is going to do a PhD at GA Tech. He is not quite here yet.
Nice that the "kids" will be in the area again!
Your "Maypop" sounds idyllic, with or without coppperheads. :-)
