Northern Brown Snake (first wild snake photographed by me!)

[bugmankeith]

After years of rare sightings of garter snakes in my area (and I mean very rare to see a snake here that people didn't believe I saw any), I flipped over a rock on a very hot day, and saw a northern brown snake! It let me get some photos of it so wanted to share!

 

[bchbum11]

Grats on the find, beautiful snake! I've had no luck at all in the field lately. 6 trips, and the only snake I've found was 1 poor southern pacific rattler which some a$$ had run over.

 

[bugmankeith]

The area I found it is constantly being dozed and dug up so that's why I was shocked anything lives there but yes it is a beautiful snake!

 

[Shrike]

Nice find! I have yet to find that species this year.

 

[Nikki1984]

Well done! Great pics.

 

[Terry D]

The area I found it is constantly being dozed and dug up so that's why I was shocked anything lives there but yes it is a beautiful snake!

Keith/all, This actually sounds about right for Storeria dekayi. The only places I've ever found these and rough earth snake- Virginia striatula, are around areas disturbed by humans- often right next to houses in the middle of old neighborhoods, then rural farmsteads, too. While not saying they don't occur in non-disturbed habitats, this has just been my experience. Nice find!!

Terry

 

[bugmankeith]

That's fine so long as they don't get run over.

 

[lizardminion]

Lucky! All I have ever found field herping, aside from Turkish geckos and green anoles in my yard, was a little brown skink. The only snakes I find are road-kill.
And the black rat snake my sister had her dog kill. :/

 

[bugmankeith]

Found another basking early Spring it was hot today!

 

[Shrike]

Nice looking snake! I have yet to find one in VA, although I know they're here. It's quite common to find these guys in urban and suburban areas. They'll make do with a variety of habitats.

 

[3skulls]

Very cool.
I thought I had my first Brown Snake the other day. But it was a Garter covered in dirt.

 

[bugmankeith]

Very cool.
I thought I had my first Brown Snake the other day. But it was a Garter covered in dirt.

I used to see many garter snakes but its been 6 years + since I've seen any probably due to suitable habitat being destroyed.

Right where I found the snake I sometimes see Italian Wall Lizards, but the little buggers are so fast I have yet to photograph one!

 

[jthorntonwillis]

Please tell us you relocated these beautiful snakes to an undeveloped area so they can reproduce!!!!

 

[3skulls]

If you don't mind..
Here is the little one I found.


And this not so happy guy last year.

He wouldn't let go

I hope you get to see a few more before the year is up!

 

[bugmankeith]

Please tell us you relocated these beautiful snakes to an undeveloped area so they can reproduce!!!!

There are no undeveloped areas around except this tiny patch of land, we have no conservation in my area nobody cares what gets killed to make stores or new houses... members here who live where I do know this too.

---------- Post added 04-10-2013 at 11:59 AM ----------

If you don't mind..
Here is the little one I found.
View attachment 115450

And this not so happy guy last year.
View attachment 115451
He wouldn't let go

I hope you get to see a few more before the year is up!

Mine tried to bite me too but bit my camera and then took off to hide again I didn't want to stress it out so I left. Great photos!

 

[Shrike]

Please tell us you relocated these beautiful snakes to an undeveloped area so they can reproduce!!!!

Actually, this species reproduces quite well in developed areas.

 

[bugmankeith]

Actually, this species reproduces quite well in developed areas.

By developed though meaning places that are messy yet wild, like lots and dumps and parks. However, except this lot every area is houses and blacktop roads and the houses have short grass and no hiding places for snakes, very small property so nothing natural like wooded areas in yards or you get fined even shrubs must be cut. Nobody has snakes in their yards if they do they die from animals or hit by cars or mowed over by lawnmowers.

 

[bugmankeith]

Here is the lot I found it in, the rest of the area surrounding is well groomed houses and lawns snakes wouldnt live if they went in a yard. I live here so in 20 something years I would know if snakes can survive in yards. This gets dozed each year.

 

[Shrike]

By developed though meaning places that are messy yet wild, like lots and dumps and parks. However, except this lot every area is houses and blacktop roads and the houses have short grass and no hiding places for snakes, very small property so nothing natural like wooded areas in yards or you get fined even shrubs must be cut. Nobody has snakes in their yards if they do they die from animals or hit by cars or mowed over by lawnmowers.

People do have snakes in their yards. I live in Fairfax VA in a very heavily developed area and I've found several good sized black rat snakes in my apartment development. It's a thoroughly landscaped location full of people, cars, etc. The snakes are still there. Back in the day I lived in a similar location in PA. The raised garden bed was home to several Northern brown snakes that seemed content to stay right where they were for the two years that I lived there. Again, in a well developed, heavily traveled area. Likewise, my sister has found Northern brown snakes and garter snakes in her yard in Arlington VA.

Sometimes, animals don't need much space to make it or are capable of adapting to conditions different than those they evolved under--a half acre of woods, or even a micro-environment as small as a garden plot, compost pile, rock, or log might be sufficient.

Of course, I'm all in favor of providing more than the bare minimum needed to survive. Making our urban and suburban environments more conducive to habitation by native wildlife is something that really interests me.

 

[bugmankeith]

People do have snakes in their yards. I live in Fairfax VA in a very heavily developed area and I've found several good sized black rat snakes in my apartment development. It's a thoroughly landscaped location full of people, cars, etc. The snakes are still there. Back in the day I lived in a similar location in PA. The raised garden bed was home to several Northern brown snakes that seemed content to stay right where they were for the two years that I lived there. Again, in a well developed, heavily traveled area. Likewise, my sister has found Northern brown snakes and garter snakes in her yard in Arlington VA.

Sometimes, animals don't need much space to make it or are capable of adapting to conditions different than those they evolved under--a half acre of woods, or even a micro-environment as small as a garden plot, compost pile, rock, or log might be sufficient.

Of course, I'm all in favor of providing more than the bare minimum needed to survive. Making our urban and suburban environments more conducive to habitation by native wildlife is something that really interests me.

I wish others here were like me and saw the need to preserve habitat for these snakes, and other animals affected by development/habitat loss. It comes down to money most people here are greedy and making money from a store is more than some conservation fund to protect wildlife, I want to move to an area that still has natural areas that won't be touched by people.