SNAKES: Following A Yellow Rat Snake

Today, June 4, 2010, while checking my garden this snake caught the corner of my eye. It is a beautiful snake with stripes on it's back. This is the third snake Ive found since Mid May, 2010 and all three have been different snakes. The first snake I found was dying because I think my dog attacked it either to play with the snake or to protect us. The second snake was a baby snake I found dead with a piece of pine straw in it's mouth. That very same day I put some ant killer granules on a huge ant hill which was located near a pile of leaves mixed with branches and straw so I am not sure if the baby snake was in the pile near the ant bed and ingested the ant killer granules. There was a small slice on the baby snake's skin otherwise no visible injuries. I'll post a video on the baby snake. Lastly, the third snake did coil and lift his head as though to strike at me but never did. The snake did have kind round eyes and I think the snake sensed I was not going to harm him/her. Towards the end of my video shoot, I think the snake was showing off for the camera :) It was my desire to film the snake a bit longer, however, yellow flies were biting me everywhere on my body so I had to go inside. If you look at the snake's body you will see yellow flies biting the snake. In all my years living in the south I have never seen the yellow flies this bad. .Thank you for watching my video
Feel free to comment and any information about this snake is greatly appreciated :)
Video footage author ln4359

Category:

Pets & Animals

Tags:

• snake
• reptile
• animals
• garter
• Yellow Rat Snake
• Elaphe obsoleta quadrivittata
• wildlife
• lowcountry
• travel
• log
• climbing
• hiding
• summer
• sunny
• woods
• dragon
• hamster
• leopard
• setup

[embryophagous]

That's actually Yellow Rat Snake (Elaphe obsoleta quadrivittata). Eastern Garter Snakes rarely get that big, are much quicker, and don't climb nearly as well. In the southeastern US, Eastern Garter Snakes usually have big "checkers" in between the stripes as well.

[ln4359]

@embryophagous Thank you I will change the video title :) It sure was a sweet snake in that the snake didnt hiss or strike at me :) Havent seen anymore snakes since this one.

[centervilletn]

a very large garter snake...handsome feller...he will keep the and rats away...eat your baby chicks too

[ln4359]

@centervilletn glad i dont have baby chicks! lots of frogs around here though, thanks for the snake ID so I could post info about the snake. out of vein, my tomato plant is leggy, what should I do?

[vention4wh]

Woa, you really live close to nature. I envy you. I live in a friggen condo.

When you posted this I was expecting something like this video.

watch?v=sc84gTh4Dy4

[ln4359]

@vention4wh Yeah, I love living close to nature, in no way am I a city girl :) Saw the video, I would freeze in my tracks if I saw a snake that size!

[SprayCaint123]

Such an awesome snake, long too!

I'm glad you recorded it instead of butchering it like many people do when they see a snake. Good on ya mate.

[MikePresents2]

@ln4359 Could be a possibility but I think it's just 'that time of year'.

[ln4359]

@MikePresents2 And I don't even have to go hunting for snakes to find them they just show up :) I do wonder if my small garden is attracting snakes into the open

[MikePresents2]

Good find.