I guess I live on a snake nest?

[mb90078]

So last fall I saw my first wild snake (http://www.thamnophis.com/forum/garter-snake-lounge/1990-what-type-garter.html) about a block away from my apartment. Today I came home from my morning classes around noon and on the step before my apartment I saw a snake that looked exactly like the one I saw in fall. Intrigued that it might have actually been the same one (I let it go right around there), I went in for a closer look. To my amazement, there was another very close to it (perhaps breeding even???), and at least one or two more within a couple yards/meters. It's been in the 70's (farenheit) consistently for about a week now, so I guess they're coming out of "hibernation"?

I'm just fairly shocked because I lived in this same apartment last year and didn't notice any at all, and now today, there may be five or six living right under me! Unfortunately, they dispersed before I had a chance to get new batteries into my camera, and seemed a bit startled by my presence. At least two of them stuck around and keep poking their heads out.

I'd say there were at least two fairly large adults, and at least two quite small ones, not sure how old they might be.

I know what garters eat in captivity, but what do you think these guys under my porch eat in the wild? I know we have a lot of lightning-bug-type bugs outside my apartment....

[CrazyHedgehog]

we are all just green with envy!

[anji1971]

Pretty cool!:D
You could indeed have a small population that has a den under there. My guess would be that beneath the porch it's probably just dirt, so they would be eating earthworms.

[mb90078]

The only decent picture I got from today's encounter...one of the bigger ones.http://i29.tinypic.com/2d1nv5x.jpg

[Zephyr]

...Radix possibly?

[mb90078]

...Radix possibly?

Yeah, that's my best guess, and was what a slight majority of the people said in the other thread I posted a half year ago (when I saw just one). To my fairly untrained eye they could possibly be Eastern/Sirtalis which is what some others were guessing.

I'll keep an eye out for them tomorrow, hopefully they'll do more than chill at the edge of that little crack there.

[Zephyr]

I put my money on radix.

[ssssnakeluvr]

definitely radix.... nice..would love to have garters popping up around my place!!!! :D

[mb90078]

Got some more pics today.

http://i31.tinypic.com/iyju69.jpg
http://i28.tinypic.com/2lwwqp0.jpghttp://i30.tinypic.com/okoe1s.jpghttp://i27.tinypic.com/2bb69w.jpg

[ssssnakeluvr]

Very nice!!!!! :D

[enigma200316]

well reach in there and get it out hahahaahha:D

[EdgyExoticReptiles]

nice! looks like they might be mating in that last photo

[bulrush]

Your snakes probably eat slugs and worms, commonly found under cool, moist porch steps. Pillbugs and crickets will also be found under your porch, not sure if snakes will eat them though.

[EdgyExoticReptiles]

Garters can't digest the exoskeleton's of insects

Your snakes probably eat slugs and worms, commonly found under cool, moist porch steps. Pillbugs and crickets will also be found under your porch, not sure if snakes will eat them though.

[Haerodiel]

Aw, they're so cute! Wild snakes are a rare sight around here, I wish we had a bunch like you do. They're so cute!

[ssssnakeluvr]

Your snakes probably eat slugs and worms, commonly found under cool, moist porch steps. Pillbugs and crickets will also be found under your porch, not sure if snakes will eat them though.
as Reed said, garters will eat slugs and worms, but cannot digest the exoskeletons. they also eat fish, amphibians, and rodents.

[GarterGirl]

Once, I saw a book titled "Garter Snakes" or something like that. It had a picture of a garter eating a cricket.

[mb90078]

Just a little update.

So it had been about a week since I've last seen them, until I saw them today. That was due at least in part to cool weather, but I was starting to think maybe they had moved out. But today I saw 1 little one and 1 big one, the little one at about 7PM, and the bigger at almost 9PM. I thought snakes were diurnal? Especially since today wasn't all that hot out.

[jeanette]

its very cool to have that little family living right under your place.........lucky lucky people

[RedSidedSPR]

"Luck lucky." That's what I thought. I can't even find a garter near my house. let alone living under my porch.
Make 'em at home!

[ConcinusMan]

Yeah, radixes. (plains garter). I wouldn't say you live on a "nest" being how snakes don't exactly have nests. They do have overwintering "dens" though. What you are seeing is the same thing that plays out every spring in locations all over, especially at Steve's house, the "T. Radix Ranch".

The snakes spend the winter under buildings and foundations, and when the weather warms up enough, they emerge in fairly large numbers. They will hang around for a while and mate. Soon they will disperse and spread out into the surrounding area to spend the summer and so you probably won't see as many since they won't be concentrated in the area. They will return to hibernate in the fall.

What you have there is snakes that have brumated (hibernated) or spent the winter under your foundation. After they mate, they will leave for the summer. They don't exactly live under your house and porch, but they do use it as shelter in the winter and perhaps to escape from predators in the summer.


Once, I saw a book titled "Garter Snakes" or something like that. It had a picture of a garter eating a cricket.

I'd say the book is rubbish.

[kibakiba]

Richard, this thread is old, old. :p
Photoshop is easy to use, probably used it to make it seem like it was eating a cricket, or they forced it to.

[mb90078]

Haha, yeah this is a 3 year old thread. But, this thread turned me on to the idea of getting a garter, which I did (well, two of them actually) a year ago.

I've since moved, but next time I go back to Iowa City, I plan to stop by and see if they happen to be around.

I only ever saw about 2-3 adults at that location (at least one male and one female), as well as a couple sub-adults, and then a couple babies...maybe about 8 or less in total, so it wasn't a particularly large den. I saw the most activity in that location in Spring and Fall (predictable), but I did see them down there multiple sporadic occasions throughout the summer. It was a fun experience looking back at it. Like I said in the thread, except for those snakes living right under me, and one I saw the previous fall in the lot across the street, I had never seen one of these guys in the wild, and then to have them living right under your nose is a strange deal. I lived in the same apartment the year before, and never saw a single one either.

[ConcinusMan]

Richard, this thread is old, old. :p
Photoshop is easy to use, probably used it to make it seem like it was eating a cricket, or they forced it to.

Dangit RedSided! I hate it when people do that. 3 years old? C'mon!:mad:

Well at least the original poster is still around to comment. I think I've seen that book with the cricket picture. It was published long before photoshop was even a word, and I believe the "picture" was a drawing. What do you expect, it was a kids book.:rolleyes:

[kerensa]

I am incredibly jealous. I remember years ago seeing a tv show about a house that was unsellable because it was on a garter hibernaculum. I was so jealous of that too. Imagine having a basement full of sleeping garters....

[chris-uk]

I am incredibly jealous. I remember years ago seeing a tv show about a house that was unsellable because it was on a garter hibernaculum. I was so jealous of that too. Imagine having a basement full of sleeping garters....

You've clearly not heard of the T. Radix Ranch? Where you don't have to imagine a basement of garters. :)

[guidofatherof5]

You've clearly not heard of the T. Radix Ranch? Where you don't have to imagine a basement of garters. :)

Thanks Chris.

[Invisible Snake]

I am incredibly jealous. I remember years ago seeing a tv show about a house that was unsellable because it was on a garter hibernaculum. I was so jealous of that too. Imagine having a basement full of sleeping garters....

I saw that show too and if memory serves me correctly I believe they used some of Don's garter snakes for the re-enactments, He's active on this forum and his username on here is "ssssnakeluvr"

[kerensa]

I remember the thread about his moving the garters to the basement. something about having a free bedroom for the in-laws I think? I remember thinking "why? I'm fine with my in-laws staying in a basement..."

[EasternGirl]

We were talking about a house on here not too long ago located in Idaho...I think it was...that they can't sell because there are garters coming in through the walls and ceilings and jumping into bed with people! It's my dream house. When I am finished nursing school I am seriously going to make the guy an offer if he hasn't sold it. Call me fully and completely addicted and nuts!

[guidofatherof5]

And that's why we love our Marnie.

[mb90078]

Fortunately for my case, when I lived at this apartment, they were around just enough, without it being "too much". No infestation, never got into the actual living area. I like garters and all, but not so sure that I'd like living with them having free range of the house.

Since this got bumped again, since my post in February where I said I would stop by and check, I did but only very briefly last fall, didn't see any of the guys, but didn't have a whole lot of time to be looking for them either.