Good going, Snake Saver! Funny thing...when I was asked recently how to identify a water moccasin, my immediate response was, "They almost NEVER hang out in taverns, bars, nightclubs, pool halls, or pubs!"

Thanks for intervening on the snake's behalf, in both instances! We need more folks like you.

Marcia

I'm glad you were able to save both of the snakes. I keep picturing what that biker must have looked like when you told him there was a snake in his motocycle! I imagine it was hilarious! lol

I always get mad when people see a black racer and freak out and decide they must kill it. It's a good snake, leave it be!

I once tried to save one I found in the road, his mouth was damaged so I tube fed him for a while but his mouth wasn't getting better and he was getting weaker so I had to put him down.

I used to have one I always saw in my yard (even in my garage once) but I haven't seen it for a few years, I am afraid a neighbor might have done him in. He always shed his skin by my garage door so even if I never saw him I knew he was around. In the time since he's been missing I now have mice in my house and rats outside, in part my fault due to not being able to work on my yard for so long but I think I would have one big, fat happy racer if he were still around.

I had someone bring a baby racer to my clinic for id. because he thought it bit his pet. Baby racers have a pattern which make them look a little like rattlers but I could see it did not have an elliptical pupil so I did some online research and identified it as a baby racer, learned something new since I always thought baby racers were also black. Then took him to a nice wooded area and released him. Most people would have stomped first and asked questions later, so I was glad he brought me the snake alive so he got a chance to live.

My boyfriend saw two 3-foot snakes chasing each other in the back yard last weekend. But he's colorblind so a coral snake and a black snake look pretty much the same. We've agreed that I'm the one who deals with snakes, fishign them out of the pool or the cats' mouths. Can't have him killing the good ones, or messing with the bad ones. :)

A couple of years ago, in the spring, I saw two black snakes playing in the grass. They looked like they were playing tag. First one would chase the other one and then they reversed the game. I watched them for a about 20 minutes. It was so funny to see their antics. I have a lot of black snakes around here.
Another time as I was going down the path one was crossing it and we collieded. He curled around my leg. We scared each other half to death. I hopped on one foot till I shook him off and we both headed in opposite directions. ;o)

I've lived here my whole life and grew up in a hunting/fishing family, although I have no interest in hunting these days. I've seen rattlesnakes swimming in Tampa Bay, far from shore but I really had no idea that moccasins would live in a brackish environment. I live on a brackish lake that feeds to Tampa Bay and when I first moved in I didn't think anything of getting down in the water to remove the cattails because I really didn't think anything in the water could be harmful to me. Two things have happened since that time. I've learned to live in peace with the cattails since the sediment keeps my waterfront from eroding away and brings in the birds to feed on fish, AND that moccasins certainly will live in brackish water as I've seen a couple dozen in just ten years...so I'm much more cautious down there now than I used to be.

Last week I was at the rose garden of one of my customers and I said something to him about the armidillos digging holes around the newly planted bushes. This man says to me "I thought snakes dug those holes." I replied in a high pitched voice (jokingly) "But snakes don't have any paws to dig with" ;-)
...has anyone ever seen a snake dig a hole?!

Nope, can't say as I have! I have seen some desert snakes that "dive" into the soft sand, burrowing down to hide. But they didn't have to DIG. I've seen them burrow into soft leaf litter, but that's not digging a hole, either. Can't imagine such a thing! Nor can I imagine THINKING such a thing. *shaking head, here*

Marcia

Kudos to the snake saviors... I'm one myself... I'm a fan of them. I've got two as pets, both rescued from somewhat neglectful homes :( Sad how people get them and then don't take care of them or want them anymore.

We let our snakes be around our yard, actually since we moved I haven't seen any outside. Our cat won't mess with them but the dog does, so we try and keep them apart.

We have a large racer that lives in our yard and both hubby and myself have observed this snake crawl in a hole in the ground and he comes out another hole about 6 feet away. I don't know if he "dug" the hole or not but he most definitely uses it regularly.

I've also observed small (maybe 12"-18") solid terracotta colored snakes when I've moved rocks or landscape timbers. They are quite pretty and seem very docile but they burrow into the dirt rather quickly. Does anyone know what they are?

~Betsy

I have an interesting snake picture. He was there when we pulled up one day. Ignore the house...it's since been painted :)

Eating a frog backwards. When we pulled up, it looked like they were one in the same because of their coloring.

Last night I saw what appear snake skin laying on top of the water lily pads,in the pond. It was too dark but this morning
I notice it was my resident water snake that I show you all
awhile back. He is dead. :( We just do not know what killed him. He was whole just lying on the lily pad. Apparently there was no struggle. Any one has any idea?
Felix

Crazy snake, aroidgardener! Doesn't he know he's supposed to do it the other way round!? Great photo!

Betsy, using holes is very common among snakes. Rattlesnakes, indigo snakes and others will den in gopher burrows, and will use other holes and hollows they find here and there. They can burrow in soft sand or leaf litter easily. But they don't actually "dig." Especially not holes the size that armadillos dig. That involves actually scooping out dirt and flinging it aside, and they just don't have the equipment to do that.

Burrowing, yes. Digging, not so much so! That's my story, an' I'm stickin' to it!

;o)
Marcia

That is such a cool pic of the snake eating the frog!
We have a black racer that lives up front under our date palm and has laid eggs there. She sheds her skin right up at the front door. We've also seen her climb the trellis and lay in the creeping fig around the roof edge and peek out at us LOL.
We also get a few corn snakes in the yard. We saw one catch and eat a field mouse the other day.
My sister calls me to get little snakes out of her pool. She will stand on a chair while I try to catch a snake the size of an earthworm LOL.

Maurice is the nickname of the black racer who lives in my front garden. 'Mo has been with us for two years now and, last year, we found out 'Mo was a Michelle. There were little black snakes all over. They've gone away but 'Mo is still there. Know how we know when 'Mo is out hunting? The lizards are all up on the stucco well out reach of anything that could eat them if they were on the ground. And, we haven't had a palmetto bug in the house in a year; 'Mo keeps things pretty clean.

Kudos on the snake stories, finally people who appreciate wildlife, how dull life would be without their contributions.
Kudos all.

I have two black racers that cruise through my yard on a regular basis. One is very large one and the other a bit smaller.

I see the younger one much more frequently. I think he considers me to be part of the scenery and is not particularly bothered by me.

I cannot tell you how MANY times I have almost stepped on this guy! He loves to hang around my back and front steps and does not rush away when he sees me. He takes his time and leaves when he is ready.

The other day, I was working on a project on the patio. The snake cruised through the patio...mere inches away from my feet. "Mornin' Bob!...happy hunting!"

He had not a care in the world and was just making his daily lizard catching rounds not phased by me at all!

Hi zoozue glad to see another Lakelander join in.
Welcome to the group.
ron

Great snake stories! I'm still laughing about snakes 'digging' burrows but maybe the one with the frog is just trying to get the poor froggie to help him dig a hole! A good example of tool use by a reptile. That's sure to be a hit on Discovery or the Animal Planet!

I like snakes and have been troubled in the past year because I haven't seen my large racer or any others. Found out a couple weeks ago that I have a neighbor who actually hunts them by the edge of the pond, not waiting for one to "invade" his yard. I told him if I saw him killing a snake in my yard or anywhere else I would be after HIM with my hoe.

Kate

Go get him Kate!
We had a rat (corn)snake in our BBQ Grill one time. My Hubby lifted the lid and called out to me. He wanted to know what kind of snake it was. He got a broom stick and let him go. They are such a neat snake.

I don't know Marcia...I've met a few snakes at taverns, bars, nightclubs, pool halls, and pubs in my time! :-b LOL!

Saintpfla...we have a black racer in our yard we've named "Mr. Burns"!

OK, gardengrl. those snakes are the reason I took my rifle.

Two weekends ago I got to witness a good part of the food chain at work.

I decided to overturn the compost pile, and naturally that sent earthworms squirming and palmetto bugs scattering. All the commotion attracted the attention of some Cuban anoles that came in to feast as I continued to turn the pile.

A minute later Samson, my West Highland Terrier, started barking like crazy and I looked to see a Black Racer had come to the smorgasbord and was gulping down an anole. I had to grab Samson to keep him from the snake, letting the snake be the top of the backyard food chain that day.

Hmmmmm, gardengrl...good points! Now that I think about it (digging way, way back into the Dark Ages of peace, love, and you know the other one)...I seem to remember running into a few of those snakes, too. Not to mention those sharks that can swim on the land..."fins to the left, fins to the right, and you're the only bait in town!" I concede. Snakes DO frequent taverns, bars, night clubs, pool halls and pubs! *nodding vigorously*

It's good to see that more and more posters are relating stories about being protective of the snakes in their gardens!

Marcia

coming into the same spot every day, it seems, close to my front door.

Whenever I got out to dump a pot of water I've collected in the kitchen on my plants right outside the front door and if it is around noon, this black snake, two feet long, comes from out behind this one pot with a bamboo muhly grass and he just slithers along the edge of the house , past my front door and into the mulched bed to the side of the house. I have no idea where he goes from there.

I don't see him any other time of day,just around noon. He can sure move fast,though. My heart always starts pounding when I see him,though, still scares me.

teeka

Sounds like a black racer to me, Teeka. Harmless and very fast. The white chin is a good ID marker, and the very long, slim body.

Marcia

that is the snake I've been seeing.

Can't say if he's got the white on the bottom, but I'll see if I catch a glimpse of that next time.

I am definitely not over my fear of snakes,but I'm starting to warm up to this little fella.

teeka

Just think of him as a long skinny lizard who is...ummm...leg-challenged! Maybe that will make him seem less intimidating.

And keep repeating, "black racers are our friends, black racers are our friends!" You're making progress!

Marcia

tannatonk... could it have been a red corn snake of some sort? Different variations have slightly different coloring. But many have terra cotta shades.