Tuesday, May 4, 2010

Wildlife


Charles noticed this fellow by the creek last weekend. Anybody have any idea what kind of snake this is? We've seen plenty of snakes around the property, but I don't think this fellow is a garter.

5 comments:

  1. that is a huge snake!!!

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  2. I will have Ken check the picture, but I think it is a Rat Snake, they come in three colors (black, yellow and gray). They range 3-8 feet long, have fairly stout body with a flat belly. Their habitat is swamps, hardwood forest, rocky wooded hillsides, farms and suburban woods. They put on a show of aggression when cornered but are harmless. They will crawl on the groun in search of rodents and farmer's like the rodent control. They are superb climbers because of the way the scales are curved on the skin. Besides rodents, they also will lunch on frogs, lizards, birds and bird eggs. I think your creek bed is a paradise for this reptile: rocky, woods, water, food! What more could he as for? Like I said, I will have Ken check, but it sounds helpful and a good one to have around.
    Looking forward to curtains! Aunt J

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  3. I remember finding a shed snake skin in our backyard when I was a kid. Strange and marvelous.

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  4. That looks like the guy that was hanging out on our patio a few weeks ago. Probably is a rat snake, but I never knew they were in Ohio. I always expect crazy stuff like that in Texas though.

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  5. I'm pretty sure it's a rat snake - we have them crawling all over our cottage in Ontario (Canada). What a handsome fellow; they are fascinating to watch. The one thing I dislike about them is they go after the baby birds and eggs :S But such are the ways of the natural world!

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