Garter Snakes Highlight Spring Clean Up at Skeetkill Creek Marsh Park
During this Spring’s clean-up at Skeetkill Creek Marsh Park, staff and volunteers removed trash and fixed a fence. But it was the unexpected presence of garter snakes that made the day memorable. These snakes have recently left their Winter den and are ready to mate. They are also somewhat aggressive, standing their ground, and even “chasing” you away if you come to close. MCT staffer and photographer Laura Machuca found this out!
Did You Know that Garter Snakes…
- are the first snakes to leave their hibernacula (den) in Spring. They have even been seen crawling over snow. Males generally emerge first to be ready when the females wake up.
- mate from late March to April. Sometimes when several males find a female at the same time, they form a “breeding ball.” A breeding ball is when snakes wrap themselves around each other, trying to mate.
- give birth to live young. Each baby snake is five to nine inches long. Up to 50 young can be born together, though ten to 15 is more common.
- receive no parental care and disperse immediately upon birth.
- have many predators, and most young will not survive.
- are good swimmers, but are not as good at climbing as some other snakes. They spend most of their time on the ground or in low shrubs and other plants.
- are useful to have around your yard, since they control slugs, mice, insects, and other pests.
- will release a bad-smelling odor if attacked. They also bite, but they are not venomous.
- saliva may be toxic to amphibians and other small animals. For humans, a bite is not dangerous, though it may cause slight itching, burning, and/or swelling.
- are classified into thirteen types (subspecies). All are considered common except the San Francisco Garter Snake which has been listed as an endangered species by the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service since 1967.
- can live up to 10 years.
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