I found a snake in our garden last night. I'm not really crazy about
it because I don't want him eating any of our frogs or toads. But my
thought is to let him be if he's not poisonous. How can I find out?

http://hitesh.smugmug.com/gallery/1685936/1/82782895
http://hitesh.smugmug.com/gallery/1685936/1/82782925
http://hitesh.smugmug.com/gallery/1685936/1/82782940
http://hitesh.smugmug.com/gallery/1685936/1/82782959

Thanks,
Hitesh

"hitesh" wrote in message
ups.com...
I found a snake in our garden last night. I'm not really crazy about
it because I don't want him eating any of our frogs or toads. But my
thought is to let him be if he's not poisonous. How can I find out?

http://hitesh.smugmug.com/gallery/1685936/1/82782895
http://hitesh.smugmug.com/gallery/1685936/1/82782925
http://hitesh.smugmug.com/gallery/1685936/1/82782940
http://hitesh.smugmug.com/gallery/1685936/1/82782959

Thanks,
Hitesh

Garter snake

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Garter_snake

Looks like a common garter snake to me, non-poisonous and helpful in
that it eats lots of insects and a few small frogs. Don't know of many
snakes that eat toads, at least not more than once.

George

hitesh wrote:
I found a snake in our garden last night. I'm not really crazy about
it because I don't want him eating any of our frogs or toads. But my
thought is to let him be if he's not poisonous. How can I find out?

http://hitesh.smugmug.com/gallery/1685936/1/82782895
http://hitesh.smugmug.com/gallery/1685936/1/82782925
http://hitesh.smugmug.com/gallery/1685936/1/82782940
http://hitesh.smugmug.com/gallery/1685936/1/82782959

Thanks,
Hitesh

On 20 Jul 2006 06:22:28 -0700, "hitesh"
wrote:

I found a snake in our garden last night. I'm not really crazy about
it because I don't want him eating any of our frogs or toads. But my
thought is to let him be if he's not poisonous. How can I find out?

http://hitesh.smugmug.com/gallery/1685936/1/82782895
http://hitesh.smugmug.com/gallery/1685936/1/82782925
http://hitesh.smugmug.com/gallery/1685936/1/82782940
http://hitesh.smugmug.com/gallery/1685936/1/82782959

Thanks,
Hitesh

Looks like a ribbon snake. It helps to know your location. Generally,
snakes with round pupils are non-poisonous, snakes with slits as
pupils are poisonous. Your garden snake will help keep rodents away.
Usually there are very few varieties of poisonous snakes in any given
(USA) area. I see a copperhead about once or twice a year, and only
one timber rattler in 15 years (E.TN) and I do a lot of mountain
hiking.

"hitesh" wrote in message
ups.com...
I found a snake in our garden last night. I'm not really crazy about
it because I don't want him eating any of our frogs or toads. But my
thought is to let him be if he's not poisonous. How can I find out?

How to find out if he's poisonous?

Well, if you get really sick when he bites you....

Joking aside -

It looks like a common garter snake, and no snakes native to North America
with those markings are poisonous. All snakes, however, can bite you if you
poke at them enough to P them off.

As with most things in nature, if you remove it, another will take its
place. If there is habitat and food, the creatures will come.

Just hope that it eats its natural prey and isn't a lazy snake.

--------

A few weeks ago, I lifted the basement storm door (old fashioned flat kind)
on the river place in southeastern MN, and saw a decent sized black snake
resting near the hinge end of the door (2-3 ft). As I was watching it, I
caught another snake out of the corner of my eye, on the swing edge where
the door overlaid the edge, a couple feet from where I put my hand to lift
the door.
Timber rattler - a little one, maybe 2-3 ft, so I looked him over on
three sides to be sure - triangular head, all the markings. They both left
after a minute and went into the grass somewhere.
Kind of surprised me that two different snakes would roost within a few
feet of each other, but they are an odd couple anyway.

Those two snakes are now my welfare snakes - with the lawn having pocket
gophers and moles annually, those lazy *******s sit in my doorway and never
lift a scale to go eat the offenders.






http://hitesh.smugmug.com/gallery/1685936/1/82782895
http://hitesh.smugmug.com/gallery/1685936/1/82782925
http://hitesh.smugmug.com/gallery/1685936/1/82782940
http://hitesh.smugmug.com/gallery/1685936/1/82782959

Thanks,
Hitesh
'

ACP "hitesh" wrote in message
ups.com...
I found a snake in our garden last night. I'm not really crazy about
it because I don't want him eating any of our frogs or toads. But my
thought is to let him be if he's not poisonous. How can I find out?

http://hitesh.smugmug.com/gallery/1685936/1/82782895
http://hitesh.smugmug.com/gallery/1685936/1/82782925
http://hitesh.smugmug.com/gallery/1685936/1/82782940
http://hitesh.smugmug.com/gallery/1685936/1/82782959

Thanks,
Hitesh

Garter snake

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Garter_snake


we had snakes like that down at the garden center where i worked and they were garter snakes as ACP has mentioned.
they are a regular garden snake but they do eat frogs and toads as well as other things so guess u are going to have to decide if u want the snake there or not. sure is a good looking snake though lol. good luck, sockiescat.

Your garden doesn't really look like frog habitat, unless there's a
water feature somewhere that I'm missing, so probably no worries about
losing frogs. As someone else pointed out, your toads are probably not
at risk, either. However, this snake looks like the right size to take
care of rodents and other pests for you.

Garter snakes are among the most mild-mannered snakes out there. As a
kid, I used to harass them at every opportunity, including catching and
"taming" them so I could freak out my sisters by walking around with
one draped off an arm, around my neck, in my lunch pail.... I managed
to get bitten only once and that was during the actual catching, when I
miscalculated how far behind the snake's head I was grabbing (far
enough to allow it to whip around and nail me). Very minor wound with
teeny-tiny teeth imprints. I didn't even tell anyone it had happened,
for fear of being forbidden to catch snakes.

Jo Ann

hitesh wrote:
I found a snake in our garden last night. I'm not really crazy about
it because I don't want him eating any of our frogs or toads. But my
thought is to let him be if he's not poisonous. How can I find out?

http://hitesh.smugmug.com/gallery/1685936/1/82782895
http://hitesh.smugmug.com/gallery/1685936/1/82782925
http://hitesh.smugmug.com/gallery/1685936/1/82782940
http://hitesh.smugmug.com/gallery/1685936/1/82782959

Thanks,
Hitesh

Wow, I come back from work today and look at all the replies. You
guys/girls are great.

ACP, sockiescat: Thanks for the links. And so would you say this
snake is good looking enough to be on ebay? ;-)

George S., Phisherman: I live in Northern Virginia, if that helps. I
hope he doesn't scare away my toads .... they've been doing a great job
catching bugs.

hob: Haha, that could make a great home snake poison test. First, let
the snake bite you. Second, do you feel woozy? then ....

Jo Ann: As hob says, I sure hope he isn't one of those lazy, welfare
snakes. It sure would help to have him patrolling and keeping any
small critters away from the yard.

Thanks for the help. I've got a bit more peace of mind ... now I've
just got to make him seem cute so the girlfriend doesn't freak out
every time she walks by him. I'm thinking of naming him, Earl.

Thanks,
- Hitesh