I desperately need help with a question!!!

[alicia]

I know absolutely nothing about garter snakes but I have a question and I couldn't find any answers online. I found this site and you guys obviously know a lot so here is my question... I live on a farm in Nebraska. I was outside playing with my daughter yesterday and came across a huge pile of garter snakes all in a huge group. There are about three holes that go underground that I could see. From what information I could find online i'm guessing they are coming out of hibernation or whatever. What should I do with them?? I'm not scared of them because I know they are harmless but I don't want that many of them in my yard if I can help it. Someone please help me out. I don't want to hurt or kill them.. I really appreciate any help!! Thanks sooo much!!!

[Stefan-A]

Just leave them alone and they'll disperse soon enough.

[infernalis]

Just leave them alone and they'll disperse soon enough.

Exactly, they will begin their summer travels in just a few days.

pretty soon you won't hardly see any.

Please don't disturb the site, they will return in the autumn and go back down for the winter, and den sites are getting destroyed too much as it is. You would be doing a huge injustice to the environment if you try and keep them from coming back in the fall, as they may not have anywhere else to go.

[alicia]

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[alicia]

OKay there you go!! Enjoy!! Let me know what you think!!

[chris-uk]

OKay there you go!! Enjoy!! Let me know what you think!!

I think you're really lucky.

Can you tell me a bit more about this den site? Is it literally just a few holes in the ground like an old rabbit hole? Or is there a hollow bank or something? I've always pictured garter dens as being holes in steep banks, but I've not seen one in person.

[guidofatherof5]

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Looks like T.s.parietalis (Red Sided Garter Snake)

[ConcinusMan]

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Yup. Red sided (thamnophis sirtalis parietalis) mating ball. Cool.

[kibakiba]

They'll go away. Right now it's just breeding mode time, once that calms down, they'll all likely go their separate ways.

[chris-uk]

As Stefan suggested, leave them and they will disperse on their own.

If there was a pile of them it sounds like the boys had been hanging around outside the den and a female came out, sounds like a mating ball to me. I've never seen garters emerging from a den, so I'm incredibly jealous.

You may find that they're around for a little while yet, until the weather warms enough for them to leave the den permanently they will come out on the warm days and return to the den at night.

I'd love to see some photos if you can post some.