DelMarVa's Premier Source for News, Opinion, Analysis, and Human Interest Contact Publisher Joe Albero at alberobutzo@wmconnect.com or 410-430-5349
DelMarVa's Premier Source for News, Opinion, Analysis, and Human Interest Contact Publisher Joe Albero at alberobutzo@wmconnect.com or 410-430-5349
21 comments:
I hate snakes.
Where was this taken?
What kind of snake is that? I have seen some in my yard that look similar.
Delmar, DE.
Darn. I was hoping you'd say somewhere far away. I hope I don't run into this guys family members in MY yard in Delmar!
I have a shovel with that snakes name on it!
It's a Garter Snake. They're really not dangerous. Many snakes aren't.
Eastern Garter Snake (juvenile)
This species is not aggressive but will bite if aggravated and will release a foul, musk smelling odor.
The garter snake is diurnal, but in hot weather the species will become nocturnal. This snake is terrestrial, and may be found in damp areas, or near water such as lakes, stream banks, wetlands, or in wooded areas. Their diet mainly consists of earthworms, fish, amphibians, and other reptiles.
This snake is more beneficial than harmful. I hope you would use the shovel to pick him up and move him to another area if he is in an area that is inconvenient for you.
And depending on how close the photographer was, you can see that this snake is not aggressive and is just using the rocks for warmth. Leave it be and he'll move along without incident.
You are right Joe,
This is a Eastern Garter snake. A great link for identifying what someone might have in their yard is:
http://fwie.fw.vt.edu/VHS/reptiles/snakes/snakes_of_virginia.htm
This is the site of the Virginia Herpetological Society.
He is a very good friend to have in the garden, and will not hurt anyone. However, it is always best to just observe and not handle. All things play an important role in the ecology. I have been biten by a copperhead here on the Eastern Shore as a child, but have learned to respect and appreciate all of our snakes from a distance.
you know, when it comes to killing animals and things "we just don't like" look at it from this point of view...we don't want anything randomly killing us just becasue they don't like us. leave it alone. if you don't like snakes...just walk away.
the only good snake is a dead snake...
9:20
Please repeat this pearl of wisdom next time you are called for jury duty, I am sure you will be excluded.
I bet those horses went crazy on that thing.
Yuck..I hate snakes..But I don't kill them..Im too busy running the other way lol
I got bit two weeks ago while trimming weeds under my trees, just a black snake but I got really sick. It was about a five footer. The damn thing didnt want to release itself from my leg.
9:45 Me too! When they wiggle my skin goes all goose bumpy!!! cj
I would make friends with that snake using my garden hoe. Long reach...
Sure it isn't a hognose corn snake? Looks like a viper head (diamond) non poisonous
Not a hognose and definitely not poisonous.
Garter snakes can have spots or stripes, depending on the exact species. The pattern and coloring of this one seems to be juvenile. While the snake pictured does have a slightly upturned nose, it definitely lacks the snout typical of the hognose.
I'm not a snake expert by any means, but I usually have a yard full of hognoses every year and did my homework when we first started seeing them
Thanks Barbie, I guess I never saw a garter snake that big, used to catch them when we were kids.
I didn't think to enlarge the picture, now that I have, I can surely see it doesn't have that diamond head.
Tim-
I think I read that garters can get well over 4ft long
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