
Why Snakes Are Good For Your Garden
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These common reptiles do some interesting things. In some populations males emit female pheremones. Males competing for mates expend their efforts on these tricky guys and then the female pheremone emitters "get lucky" more often with the females and conserve their genes more.
I usually tend to have one as a study-specimen. Usually individuals doing something so stupid they're probably going to be crow-food or road-kill pretty soon. They're active, always interested in what you're doing ( the current specimen is fascinated whenever I dump water in the toilet---he resides in an aquarium on the top of the toilet tank ).
As study-specimens they're easy to keep healthy if treated right. I don't handle captive reptiles any more than necessary. I look at 'em like keeping a fish that doesn't require a heavy leak-prone tank full of water. Something to study and enjoy esthetically. Where I live if there were any snakes to turn up they'd immediately be slaughtered by someone who is an obligate ophidiophobe so I don't get to see them wandering around in my yard. If I want to see any I have to keep captive specimens which is allowed in my state. Up to 3 specimens of non-protected/non-game/non-dangerous wildlife per conservation #.
I like snakes. Anyone who has no arms, legs and precious few friends but gets up every morning and goes out to "beat the world" has my vote. And yes, they do eat rodents. Mine just ate the legs and tail from a small rat I had to buy for my vendor-bought Nelson's milk snake ( it was still too big for her ) because my local pet store can't be bothered to keep frozen mice in-stock. The 25" garter snake ate the legs and the tail ( cut up in sections ) and seemed very happy to have had them.
It takes food from my fingers at the pulled-open corner of the top of the enclosure and almost always has to bite a finger once-or-twice just to make sure it's not missing some live prey. Yes, it's drawn blood. Not much, but some. I've never experienced any envenomation symptoms from the slightly-venomous saliva which is, as I understand it, rich in a common neurotransmitter which would already be something to which your body constantly exposes you---or that's what I read somewhere. Of course if enough of that gets into wounds in a small animal the balance in it's nervous system could be upset so it may struggle less violently with less chance of injury to the snake predating the small prey or less chance of it staging an escape.
They may also be poisonous ( they eat amphibian prey which may exude toxins from skin glands and these can be present in the flesh of their predators ). So if you're an obligate ophidiophobe and hoe some poor garter snake to death in your garden don't get all "ethical-hunter" and decide to eat what you kill. You might get the same sort of nasty surprise your dog got when you weren't keeping it on the leash when it ate that toad before you could catch up to it and stop it.
The worst thing garter snakes will generally do to you if handled in a state of agitation is to deposit some really malodorous musk on your hands. Unless you're a highly unusual individual you're probably not going to enjoy that very much. Depending on the individual you'll also probably get some minor lacerations from defensive bites though in some cases I've picked up individuals to take a closer look and had them act as-if they'd been captive-raised and were used to being handled. Like anyone else there are individual temperaments. But if you have a child fascinated with snakes they should be warned that if they catch a garter snake the're probably going to be bitten. An "exciting" experience if one is not used to it. Also one calling for the tetanus vaccinations to be up-to-date.
I brake4snakes.
Very carefully, I read this article and made sure as I scrolled down to read it, I kept a piece of heavy paper on the screen to prevent from eyeing a picture. I'm so terrified of snakes, any kind of snake, even the garter, that I can't look at one for fear of having a nightmare about snakes. I just can't tolerate them. We used to find one every once in a while around our property, but I buy Snake Away at the local Lowes store to keep them away (as much as that works). I've not seen one in years, thank the good Lord!! I don't garden every year and when I do, I make sure I sprinkle plenty of Snake Away around my gardens before it becomes warm enough for them to be above ground. Everyone always says garters are "more afraid of you than you are of them". I don't believe that's true!! But thankfully I don't run into them...I'd scream bloody murder if I do. :c)
Robin: I'm sorry and I knew I will face my maker when asked about this but I kill snakes as I have high anxiety and very terrified of snakes. I have lots of gardens and have not seen one this year which I am grateful for. I realize I will have to account for my actions as I also ask a neighbour to come and deal with them. I am 69 on Saturday and cannot get past their slithering and actions - I scream every time. God Bless and thanks for listening.
We use to have quit a few around here until I got guinea hens and let them free range. That pretty much ended my snake population. Now that the guineas are gone the snakes are coming back. We like to have them around. To bad they don't eat all the doggone mosquitos, man they are terrible this year.
I have had at least one garter snake as long as I have been living here in Mi. About 6 years now.
Now I have two large ones and two babies as far as I can tell. That is all I see.
They sun themselves on top of my hedges that is right next to my backyard deck. I go out every morning
and talk to them. I do not try and pick them up. But they are not afraid of me. They are getting used to
me I think coming to visit them. We have mice so I am hoping they eat all of them. I love having them here.
I hope they stay. I don't bother them just say hi once a day. My family thinks I am nuts. I was wondering if they mate on snake for life? maybe they are boy and girl?
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