Rural FL Wildlife in Yard & House: Window Snake

I grew up in Florida and LOVE it here! Our 2.5-acre yard is FULL of life all year long.

I've missed filming many visitors to our yard/pond... Just the birds include: Sandhill Cranes, Great Blue Herons, Green/Louisiana Herons, Egrets, Vultures, Kingfishers, Limpkins, Red-Bellied and Pileated (Huge) Woodpeckers, Blue Jays, Titmice, Chickadees, Crows, Mourning Doves, Barred Owls, Grouse, and a Wild Turkey walking down our driveway.

We've also seen Bats, Otters, Deer, Blue-Tailed Skinks, Salamanders, Dragonflies, Black Racer snakes, Water Moccasins, and 2 Coral Snakes, both of which we were forced to kill (3 cats/3 dogs who don't know dangerous snakes from harmless ones).

Almost forgot the Alligators in the pond (Always Present), plus Bass fish and other smaller fish. We frequently see these turtles on logs in the pond, sunning themselves.

To identify Coral Snakes VS King Snakes (look-alikes), we memorized this rhyme: "Black and Yellow kill a fellow; Red and Black won't hurt Jack." Very handy! This refers to the stripe pattern on the snakes' bodies.

I don't know what sort of snake is in our window. Certainly somebody out there will know, and tell us all in the comments, right?

Our dog once caught an Otter and flipped it on its back. It hissed at her and she backed off right away!

Our other dog once swam in the pond and was chased out by an Alligator. Since then our Radio Fence has barred our dogs from the pond... Essential here in Florida!

Edit: Forgot to mention... the video of the practically-invisible Hummingbird is a Black-Chinned Hummingbird. We've also seen the Ruby-Throated Hummingbird, both fairly common in FL.

Our Hummingbird feeder is set in a group of Cannas Flowers, a favorite food of Hummingbrids, so we've had very good luck with our feeder.

Category:

Pets & Animals

Tags:

• Red-Shouldered
• Hawk
• Box
• Turtle
• Cooter
• Florida
• Wildlife
• Raccoon
• Lizard
• Anole
• Snake
• Hummingbird
• Cardinal
• Bird
• Feeder
• Frog
• Dog
• Cat

[elflingskitten]

Thanks so much for posting this. It's good to see somebody else who sees wildlife as something besides a nuisance, and it reminds us that rural Florida isn't completely gone, as seems to be the case. My mother and I loved this. Cute snake.

[elsbett1]

elflingskitten, Thank you so much for you kind comment!  I'm very glad to hear that other Floridians enjoy native wildlife, as do I.

I grew up in South Florida, watching wildlife and open land disappear throughout my childhood. As I grew older I kept moving to more and more rural locations, trying to keep in touch with wildlife.

Wildlife IS still here, though in limited places. So glad to hear you enjoyed this video... I have more coming! Thanks again.

[BrownDarter]

oh at 1:30 that lizard looks to be a Knight anole never thought they were north into the state.

They arent natives but if you have vegetable plants they will eat any type of catteripilar which as you know anoles,skinks do not and will rid your garden of plant eating catteripilars.

[elsbett1]

@BrownDarter

OMG you actually know the species of this bizarre visitor! We've never seen another like him, and we are in Sumter County.

I've always wondered whether this critter was an aberration, or an actual species... Thank You for answering that question.

Lots of Caterpillars here at certain times of year, landing on your body and stinging you, OW! What the heck are they, do you know?

[herpguy101]

Do not kill Coral Snakes. They won't bother your dogs if you keep them inside like they were ment to be. Also Coral Snakes dig and burrow and most likely won't get near your dogs due to the fact that they can smell them.

[nickj11992]

thats a brown anole at 1:30.

[BrownDarter]

No the stinging caterpillars I dont know we dont have them here in Miami. I live by horse country lots of wild areas but we have for the most part 3 types of caterpillars -Fuzzy black which eats plants-Green that eats vegetable plants and reddish type which eats flowers.

The knight anoles are freeaky looking remind me of the movie alien lol, They die in cold if prolonged suprised so high North. If it wasnt for work would move out of Miami lol warm or not go further North in Florida

[BrownDarter]

lol I to am in Florida but S.Florida thus the name Brown Darter which is the native Florida darter and I keep a few.

Its funny the temp difference in the state my aunt lives in Tampa and its cold there today while in 70s here today.

[elsbett1]

Thank you for the info, BrownDarter... I knew Someone, Sometime, would know more about this little snake than I did.

We can do without mice and rats, around here.

We almost never see snakes in the Winter (Northern Florida). We do have evidence of mice, however, all year long... I suspect there's one (or more) in my make-up drawer, fluffing up my Q-Tips & make-up rounds... yuck!

[BrownDarter]

They eat mice and birds as babies. They are born during baby bird ,baby mice season and those become their meals that summer .

They are called rat snakes because as adults can eat rats but in truth even as adults mice are their main food and birds.