So last fall I saw my first wild snake 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....