Winter

Winter

Friday, September 15, 2006

S S S S S S Snake!

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We have these little snakes, possibly garter, that live in our area and they really seem to like our property. Maybe it's because it's not very well-kept at the edges. We keep the area around the house and shop clean and planted prettily, but the rest of it can get a bit overgrown. And that makes for great wildlife habitat. Bringing us back to the snakes.

They're harmless enough. It's just that they're the color of the ground and are not easily seen so it can be quite a surprise to come across one. Especially when weeding by hand. Stick your hand into a bunch of weeds and see a little brown thing skitter across your glove. No matter that they don't bite, it's quite a shock. And now there seems to be a nest of just-hatched babies somewhere, as the yard is fairly overrun with these little guys.

I know from these photos that it's hard to tell just how big it is and, you know, I just keep forgetting to keep a ruler in my pocket! This one is probably 6-inches long and no wider than a very thin pencil. When it coils up, it's about 2-inches square.

No tiny snakes, or large ones either, were harmed in the taking of these photos, and the baby you see here was set free after enduring the photoshoot. We live and let live. Unless you're a non-native slug!

6 comments:

Anonymous said...

Those snakes are actually very cute, and the thought that they are so small makes them even cuter. Too bad snakes don't eat slugs, or do they?

Christine said...

I think they're very cute also, Anna Maria. They fascinate me. Judging by the number of slugs we have, I think they probably don't eat them, but you never know.

Unknown said...

Cute - that was my reaction, too! Of course, they're not hanging out at my house. . .

Christine said...

They're cute when they're small, very small. The bigger ones can reach 2+ feet long and have a bit more 'attitude' than the babies, who don't have a clue. They will coil up and strike at you if you're too close, but mostly they just flee. Good thing too!

Jann said...

hummmmmm......snakes....me no like..but they are nice to look at........I'm such a woos!

Anonymous said...

Snakes I have no fear of at all. I find them to be quite beautiful and sleek. Most people think they feel slimy, when infact they are very smooth and satiny feeling...well some are smoother than others.

I saw a snake once when my son and I flipped over a rotted log. It was tucked away in a long slender rut like on the bottom side of the log.

I picked it up to get a good look at it. It was dark with a red orange body. Quite small and slender probably less than 8 inches. I don't remember the name anymore, but it was about full grown. the first one I ever saw so small.