Snakes in the Garden

Fortunately I'm not one to be squeamish with the natural side of the garden. The wasps usually don't bother me, nor do the spiders, and neither do the snakes. I know many people can't even stand the sight of snakes whether they are dangerous or not. It's probably the fear that they could be poisonous that scares people. There's an easy way to tell though - look at the head! If the head of the snake is pointy and more arrow shaped then avoid it because it's poisonous. If the snout is more rounded like in the case of my new friend here it's not poisonous.

This little snake is a juvenile black racer (I think, if I'm wrong let me know!). It was found in my neighbor's mailbox garden while they were cleaning it up. I collected this little guy and placed him in my garden where he is more than welcome to eat his fill of moles, voles, mice and insects. The natural pest control he offers is a very nice benefit! He's the first snake I've seen here since we bought our house although I've seen many other reptiles including two box turtles and skinks (blue tail).

What cool critters have you found in your garden lately?

Labels: wildlife