air Bnb for snakes

[brewmaster15]

I'm Going to have to start a new business, I'm thinking of an air BnB catering to snakes, Last year I had garter snakes take up residence

Peek a boo by Al Sabetta, on Flickr


This year we have a pair of Northern water snakes that rented the wood pile for an over night .

Northern watersnake (Nerodia sipedon) by Al Sabetta, on Flickr


I took the tarp off my wood pile this morning and there they were coiled up after last nights freeze.... they off course slithered off and then 5 minutes latter they popped out of the woodpile together.


al

[LizStreithorst]

Good luck turning it into a business. The photos are sure cool, though.

[brewmaster15]

Lol.. well I have at least figured out where all the other critters have gone in my pond and who owned the snakeskins I found over the winter in my wood pile.

[Second Hand Pat]

Those watersnakes turned the air bnb into a honeymoon suite lol. Great pics Al I love snakes.
Pat

[AquaticNerd]

Those watersnakes turned the air bnb into a honeymoon suite lol. Great pics Al I love snakes.
Pat

Took the words right out of my mouth Pat! Really cool pictures you've shared Al.

[brady]

You know Al, those boys can be nasty, sow watch your fingers when you are getting wood for the stove.
Jay

[brewmaster15]

You know Al, those boys can be nasty, sow watch your fingers when you are getting wood for the stove.
Jay

Absolutely Jay! I have had a few run ins with water snakes. I have a bad habit of trying to pick up wild snakes. Water snakes do bite and leave you in a bad way.. lots of tiny sharp teeth and anti-coagulating saliva means the bites are bloody. Its one of the only CT snakes I wont handle.. the others being copperheads and rattlers.

[LizStreithorst]

I've seen copperheads in my burn pile. Most men down here kill them. I'm not about to risk that! Once I get over being startled, I back up a bit, admire it's beauty then turn around and walk back to where I came from.

The first time I saw one was years ago at the vet hospital where I had my grooming business. It was so still and so beautiful I thought it was artificial that someone was playing a joke. I almost stepped on it for fun, then thought better of it. I told the business owners about it and one of the guys killed it. Kind of a shame, really. I understand they eat rodents. Wherever there is animal feed there will be rodents scarfing up whatever is spiled.

[brewmaster15]

I came across a Cottonmouth in the Everglades once when I was bird watching on a Hammock ( raised "island of dirt" in a wet land) Nothing quite like being knee deep in water in the middle of no-where and having a poisonous snake swimming right at you. Cottonmouths can be aggressive. It would not have ended well for me had I been bit. I really was no where near anything and theres only one main road in the Everglades.This was pre smart phone days. I count my blessings that it decided to veer off in another direction. I'm not sure I would have been able to outrun its swimming so I think I probably would have just froze and prayed.

As for copperheads, they are fairly common in CT, I have seen a bunch of them.They are very shy.. your southern copperheads tend to be more aggressive. I wonder if its because of the heat and seasonal differences


al

[brewmaster15]

These two water snakes are still hanging around here. They use the wood pile as their base of operations. Whats really unusual though is they have stayed together. Thats something that just doesnt happen with snakes. Snakes are solitary animals. They come together for mating and then go their separate ways. Multiple times now I have seen these two together. Its a first for me to witness. Im wondering if they will stay together all summer. Im pretty sure at least one over wintered in the woodpile under my deck as I found a lot of snakeskins there.

20230527_092317.jpg

[LizStreithorst]

Interesting.