Best time for stalking

[lauwersp]

Hey everyone

So... what are the best times of day for stalking garters? I THOUGHT morning and late afternoon/early evening, but when I went to a spot where I'm told there are LOTS of garters, I found but one. This may just be coincidence, but the lawn mowing people (who are riding atop loud mowers and not LOOKING for snakes) say they see them EVERY time they mow, making me think they are either exaggerating or that during midday is actually better than evening.

As I'm planning more carefully my next trip I thought I'd open up discussion.

Thanks as always.

Peter

[guidofatherof5]

A lot depends on your weather. If it's very hot during the day your thoughts are right about early morning and evening. They will wait until the cool of the day.
They will also come out during and right after a rain. Many of the radixes in my area come out after dark and seek out the yards that have sprinklers running. They are out for a cool drink and to eat some worms.

Lawn mowers will spook them out of their hides which is why they probably see them.

If I run the sprinkler for worm catching I will always find a few snakes out doing the same thing.

[infernalis]

Right after it rains here, the ground is covered in garters.....

If I go out at 6:00-6:30 am, they are just moving into position for morning basking.

at night, they are under hides.

[lauwersp]

really... right after a rain eh? Very interesting...

The funny thing is... I live in rural northern Michigan... on 10 acres actually... and I've only seen one this year... the one I now have. I would have thought I'd see LOTS of them. In fact, I thought catching one would be a trivial matter... which it definitely wasn't. In fact, the one I DID catch (and still haven't named), was right at the edge of the driveway and didn't run... it was dumb luck on my part.

The new female (Matilda) I definitely sought out and captured.

I'll have to do more poking around up here after a rain. Makes sense really... worms come up after a rain.

[guidofatherof5]

really... right after a rain eh? Very interesting...

The funny thing is... I live in rural northern Michigan... on 10 acres actually... and I've only seen one this year... the one I now have. I would have thought I'd see LOTS of them.

I bet a lot more of them saw you. They are masters of camouflage. They blend into their surroundings. Sometimes the best thing to do is to sit and watch for them to move.

[Selkielass]

I keep Honeybees north of Pontiac, and I often find garters in and under my equipment.
I occasionally see a tail disappearing into a rock pile, but for the most part they are better at hiding than I am at spotting them.

Could you place some boards discreetly around the area you want to find them in? Snakes like to hide beneath boards and logs and you may find that somebody has taken up residence if you check after a few days.

[lauwersp]

Oh there are lots of places like that up here... and I do know they are really good at camo. I walked past Matilda once before I saw her... I was walking the lawn in vertical strips and I spotted her on my way past her the other way... she jumped.

I do find them a lot easier to find in tall grass (which is the environment where my friend lives). As the vacant property doesn't get regularly mowed, I'm sure the garters love the taller grass and nobody bothering them.

At any rate, thanks for the info everyone!

[ConcinusMan]

It wasn't even hot yesterday at around 1pm. It was only 72 but not a garter to be found anywhere. Same spot after 5pm came to life, with dozens of snakes out foraging. They're active all day in the same spot if it's overcast. I think even when it's not hot, they try to avoid the intense midday sun when the UV index is high. This behavior varies dramatically depending on temperature, cloudy, sunny, etc so you'll have to try different times of the day and figure out when it's best at your location.