Anyway.
What I failed to mention in that post is that I had no idea at the time what type of snake I�d encountered. After all, having lived in a big city until recently, on a second floor apartment, with no outdoor garden to putter around in, I didn�t have that many opportunities to run into that type of snake. Or any type of snake, for that matter. Which, now that I think about it, isn�t such a bad thing.
Okay.
So all that to say that the first time I saw a snake in the backyard of my home was the first time I�d ever seen a snake. Any snake. And even though I didn�t know what type it was, the first thing that came to mind is that it �must be some kind of garden snake�. Because on some dilapidated shelf in the back of my (also at times dilapidated) mind, in a dust-covered, mold-laden box labeled �trivia that will probably prove to be totally useless� I found something about it being normal to occasionally find snakes in the garden, typically referred to as garden snakes. This made me happy. Not the knowing-about-the-snake part � yes that made me happy too - but that all those hours of my life wasted on collecting worthless information finally paid off. So yay for that.
Watch out trivial pursuit opponents!
Another thing that I want you all to know is that I wasn�t frightened that day, since I�m not particularly bothered by snakes. Well, maybe if I suddenly found myself standing a couple of feet away from a rattlesnake or a cobra or a python, it would be scary. And terminal. But a cute, harmless, itsy bitsy snake like a garter? Pffft. Puh-lease.
�Oh come on, Water Roots lady. You expect us to believe that half-baked story? Aren�t you the one that runs away screaming when you find a millipede in the house? And yet here you are telling us that you�re not intimidated by this �itsy bitsy� snake?�
[blush]
Okay, the experience was a little alarming. But certainly not frightening. In fact, it was more exciting than anything else.
�Exciting? That�s the highlight of your day? Seeing a snake in the garden? Wow, do you live an interesting life or what?�
[blush]
Alright, enough already...crazy voice in my head. Let�s move on.
So.
Being someone with an insatiable appetite for information, after I identified the �worm on steroids�, I needed to learn a little something about garter snakes. Here�s what I discovered:
- Garter snakes are the most widely distributed snakes in North America. They can be found throughout the continent, except in the dry southwestern states.
- They are called garter snakes because the patterning on their sides resembles that of garters once warn by men to hold up their socks. (I have no idea what men�s sock garters look like, so, you know, shrug)
Photo from SXC
- Garter snakes give birth to live young. Anywhere from 3 to 80 baby snakes are born in a single litter. (Can you imagine giving birth to 80 babies? Ack!) On average, though, litters usually consist of between 20 to 40 babies. (Still fairly high number of births, if you ask me)
- When they are born, baby garters are about 12.5 to 23 cm (4.9 to 9 inches) long.
- The babies are independent upon birth. (Talk about leaving the nest early. And they never return; unlike human babies that move back home when they�re like, I don�t know, about 35 or so)
Photo from SXC
- The first reaction of these snakes when faced with a predator (this means you) is to hide, so most of the time you won�t even know that these reptiles are in your garden. (This is probably a huge blessing for people that are terrified of them)
- Garter snakes are carnivorous, meaning they eat meat. Their diet consists of anything moving that they can overpower; this includes mosquito larvae, leeches, spiders, slugs, snails, crickets, lizards, rats, mice, voles, various other insects, other snakes that may be poisonous, birds, bird eggs, earthworms, frogs and even fish (if living near the water). Food is swallowed whole. (No chewing thoroughly for these critters)
- Garter snakes prove beneficial to the garden by eating a number of detrimental pests, but they�re also an important source of food for a number of birds and mammals. (The food chain, folks)
Photo from SXC
- If backed into a corner, garter snakes will try to scare their predator away through a show of temper. If picked up, they will release a foul-smelling liquid as a form of defense and attempt to bite their captor. But generally speaking, these snakes are not aggressive and they will more often than not try to hide or run away rather than confront the �enemy�.
- Although recent discoveries have revealed that garter snakes do produce venom, the amount is very mild making it quite harmless to humans. A bite may cause mild swelling and some itching, but not much else.
- Garter snakes hibernate from late October to about early April. (Something I wouldn�t mind doing � on a tropical island, of course)
- Because of the similarities in sound, garter snakes are also called garden snakes, gardener snakes, garder snakes, guarder snakes and gardner snakes. (I personally have always referred to them as �garden� snakes)
My Photo � Taken On A Recent Walk
I think that�s pretty much enough data about a snake that most of you who have gardens have encountered at some point (and most of you honestly don�t really care about, right?). And why do I bother learning all this information, you ask? Well, aside from the fact that I have a very inquisitive mind and enjoy learning new things, I also find that the more I am informed, the more I understand what I can expect and what I�m dealing with. In this case, I�ve learned that these abundant little snakes are basically harmless to humans while being quite beneficial in the garden. They�re the good guys.
And just for the record, I do not run away screaming when I see millipedes.
Anymore.
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