Guest in the garden

[Timj]

Wife had a guest in the garden today

[Eugen]

I can't recognize that snake. I don't think we have that kind here. Venomous?

[Timj]

Fox snake, not venomous, pretty docile. Still startling when you're not expecting them.

[myerslawnandgarden]

Fox snake, not venomous, pretty docile. Still startling when you're not expecting them.

Yes, they are harmless. We have them also in No. IL but you don't see them very often unless near a creek. They do a great job of rodent control but can strike fear into people with snake-phobia. When feeling threatened they make a rattling sound by rubbing their scales together that might be mistaken for a rattle snake even though we do not have those here.

Bob

[myerslawnandgarden]

One of my favorite jobs some years ago was with a professional drag racing team who fielded a contemporary fuel altered. The shop had a back door that was often open for air circulation in the summer and there was a creek behind. One night a rattling noise was heard and there was this fox snake coiled up by the back wall looking as menacing as he could. Our driver was there as well as an owner/driver of a nostalgia front engine top fuel dragster and both were terrified. Reminded me of the cartoon of the wife standing on a kitchen chair because a mouse ran across the floor. Just found it amusing that both would think nothing of strapping themselves into a 250 mph+ beast with 4000 nitromethane horsepower literally between their legs but were in a cold sweat due to this little snake.

Bob

[Timj]

That is funny, Bob. Most of them we run into are pretty quiet, but if you keep messing with them they "rattle". Kinda funny how they developed that defense mechanism even in an area that doesn't have rattlesnakes. My daughter has a great video in her phone of a Fox snake she was chasing through the yard. It was over 6' long and really buzzing. Definitely can see why people think they are a rattlesnake, unfortunately this gets alot of them killed.

There is always a few hognose snakes hanging out around the pipe piles at my shop. My last employee was not real fond of them. The aggressive hiss and false strike gets your attention. They sure like to let you know they are there before they give up and play dead.
Tim

[Eugen]

Where I grew up we had a climate much like south of new York I think. The only venomous snake were vipers. As a teenager I caught a few horned vipers. Deadly bite, but somehow that didn't stop me. I wanted to have one as a pet. Not proud of some stuff I've done when I was young.

Here we have harmless garter snakes. Very rarely you see one of these.