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Checkered Garter Snakes (20 May 2007) Northwest Austin, Texas (Thamnophis marcianus marcianus) Beneficial and Non-poisonous; not aggressive, rarely bites, even if handled roughly; this species of snake preys on toads, frogs, lizards, and earthworms. In general, it is a good snake to have around. Report and Photos courtesy of Stacey P.; text by Jerry Cates
Stacey Wrote: "Yesterday as I was getting ready to grill dinner, I saw two snakes on the ground beside a little hole that leads to underneath our deck. The deck actually sits almost directly on the ground (or about 6 " off the ground), but underneath, I suspect that there is wood in direct contact with the ground. (Our home inspector warned us that this could draw termites as having wood touching the ground in Austin is not a good thing). There is some sort of concrete/board-like side going around the deck that (we thought) kept things from going under it. But recently someone must have kicked it or a piece fell off somehow because now there's a little "doorway" for critters -- an opening about 5" x 4". As soon as the snakes noticed me, they hurried through the little hole under the deck. I moved the grill a few feet away & decided to continue preparing to cook. My little 4 lb. white toy poodle was lying on the ground between me & the hole the snakes had disappeared into. (I figured I had frightened them more than they had frightened me, but I didn't take my eyes off that hole for one second!!!) Then I saw one of the snakes peer out at my little 4 lb. white toy poodle (named Sally), who was lying on the ground between me & the hole. The snake seemed to be looking at the poodle, and then it slowly started coming out of the hole and going directly towards her!!! Needless to say, I got her inside & went back out to photograph the snake. In the picture you will also see a rubber glove that I threw down on the ground. I was so afraid that I could barely hold the camera steady (I'm ashamed to say). I could see from the bulge in its belly that one of the snakes had recently eaten something (perhaps a frog or mouse). It was just lying there and sort of "jerking" every few seconds. I suspect these are not poisonous, but I was so distressed that I couldn't seem to make an identification comparing it to photos on the web. Later, after the snakes had gone back under the deck, I blocked the opening with a piece of wood & a rock. Then I sprinkled down a whole bottle of this snake repellent a neighbor had given me a couple of years ago (very smelly crystals). These were measures to just make me feel better. My neighbor suggested buying smoke bombs from the Party Pig and throwing those under the deck to "smoke them out." I'm not sure this will work, and my greatest fear is that more than 2 snakes will come out from under the deck!!! And the story continues. Tonight, I saw another snake (about 2 feet long) inside our garage that is in the front part of our property (yes, the door had been raised a while). It looked like the same type of snake I had seen in the back. My husband shooed it to the end of the driveway with a broom while I went in the bathroom to cry to relieve my tension!!!! My questions: a) Can you identify the snake from the photo? b) Would/could this sort of snake harm my 4 lb. poodle? c) Could there possibly be some sort of "snake pit" under my deck? d) If I mend the hole leading to under the deck, could these snakes make "tunnels" to get back under there (as they may be quite comfortable living there). We have a pool in the back & frogs tend to come around. There are also acres of woods just behind our house. I thinking of taking drastic measures here -- like paying someone an obscene amount of money to rip out the deck & put in a patio. Before this encounter, I had planned on simply replacing the wood with recycled plastic planks to reduce the potential for termites (and putting down a layer of rocks between the planks for good drainage). But I'm afraid that the snakes will want to live under the deck even if it's plastic. (Yikes -- can they live under patios?) Should I call someone (a snake expert or exterminator) to come and size up the situation? My husband thinks we should rip up the deck, but I'm terrified as to what we may find. " ---------------- My Reply: Stacey---Thanks for sending so detailed a report. I'll address your questions in their original order: a) Can you identify the snake from the photo? Yes. The snakes in the photo are checkered garter snakes (Thamnophis marcianus marcianus). After enlarging the photo (thanks for sending a high-resolution image that is in perfect focus--nice job, Stacey) it is possible to make out the dark vertical margins on the upper lip scales of the snake's face, which definitely make it a garter snake. The heavily keeled scales, with a checkerboard pattern and a thin, yellow/orange spinal stripe, help confirm the species. This species is not poisonous, and feeds mostly on adult frogs and toads, followed by earthworms, lizards, and geckos. Of these, they particularly like toads, probably because the toxins secreted by the toads give them a rush. Their unusually large adrenal glands allow them to neutralize the toad's toxins without being harmed in the process. Below are some web pages with other photos of this species of snake: Checkered Garter Snake Juvenile, Austin, Texas 22 March 2007 (Courtesy of Richard D.) Checkered Garter Snake, Seguin, Texas, 17 March 2007 (Courtesy of R. Warren) b) Would/could this sort of snake harm my 4 lb. poodle? No. They might have been attracted to the poodle for a number of reasons, including the foolish thought that, boy, that cute dog might make a good playmate, but their diet does not normally include mammals such as mice or rats. In studies of the stomach contents of these reptiles, almost never were mammalian remains found. c) Could there possibly be some sort of "snake pit" under my deck? More likely there is some sort of toad pit under your deck. Toads are nocturnal and hide in burrows under rocks and other coverings during the day, so the deck is an excellent place to hide, especially if conditions under the deck are somewhat moist. Except, of course, if there happens to be a garter or hog-nosed snake around; toads produce faint odors that attract their natural predators. The eastern hog-nosed snake (Heterodon platirhinos) is another of our--harmless-- toad-eating snakes, so don't be surprised to see one of those lurking around, too. d) If I mend the hole leading to under the deck, could these snakes make "tunnels" to get back under there (as they may be quite comfortable living there). We have a pool in the back & frogs tend to come around. There are also acres of woods just behind our house. Yes, you could mend the hole, and yes, they could tunnel back under later, but these are not your primary concerns. It is not good to have any kind of moist habitat that attracts any kind of animal--including frogs or toads--next to your home. Your first priority should be to open things up to allow moisture to escape and make that area less attractive to toads and frogs. e). I'm thinking of taking drastic measures here -- like paying someone an obscene amount of money to rip out the deck & put in a patio. Before this encounter, I had planned on simply replacing the wood with recycled plastic planks to reduce the potential for termites (and putting down a layer of rocks between the planks for good drainage). But I'm afraid that the snakes will want to live under the deck even if it's plastic. (Yikes -- can they live under patios) First, try not to worry so much about the snakes (though, yes, they can live under patios). They are actually doing you a favor by eating the toads. If your poodle tried to eat a toad, its toxins could be lethal. Because these snakes are not poisonous they cannot harm you or your poodle. Even if picked up, this species rarely strikes or bites, and even when it bites, the bite is seldom of any consequence. Worry instead about termites. It would be a good idea to have the patio examined, by an expert, for termite risks. Only if such risks exist would it make any sense to pay someone to modify the architecture of the existing patio, or to replace it with one of another design. f). Should I call someone (a snake expert or exterminator) to come and size up the situation? My husband thinks we should rip up the deck, but I'm terrified as to what we may find. Yes, I do recommend calling in an expert. Make sure to choose someone you can trust, who is knowledgeable in general pest management, termite control, and herpetology. Be leery of anyone who tells you the snakes pose a threat to you or your poodle, as that could be a ploy to take advantage of your fears and may lead you to, as you put it, "pay someone an obscene amount of money" to make corrections that are unnecessary. I'm licensed in pest management and termite control, and will be happy to come out and perform an initial survey at no charge. It won't take long to figure out if you need to do anything right away, and if you can take a few simple steps to correct things without spending anything, I'll tell you. If further evaluations are deemed necessary, we can discuss fees that would apply if you choose to proceed. ------------------------ My licensing information, in compliance with Texas law is: Jerry Cates, EntomoBiotics Inc., Licensed and Controlled by the Texas Structural Pest Control Board---Bus. Lic. 6492---Certified Applicator Lic. 27159PTL---Telephone (512)331-1111---This number rings on my cell phone--call anytime to make an appointment; if you get my voicemail, leave a message and I'll get back to you before long. ------------------------ Additional Notes on Checkered Garter Snakes: The body of the snake in the center of the photo (at least two snakes are present in this image, and possibly as many as three; such congregations suggest that mating is taking place, and this species mates from March through May) is swollen with the body of a recently swallowed meal, probably a toad. The keels of the body scales are quite obvious, especially after the image was enhanced to bring out subtle contrasts. Notice the thin spinal stripe, of light yellow or yellow-orange. The stripe is only one scale wide, and cannot be stretched even by the snake's distended belly. Such a thin spinal stripe is characteristic of this species. Notice, by comparison, the way the normally square dark marks on the sides of the snake are stretched laterally, so they look almost like stripes. These marks aree four scales wide, and are easily stretched with the snake's body. Garter snakes are in the same genus with ribbon snakes, and they look a lot alike. One easy way to tell them apart is to look at the scales of the upper lip. The photo below is a small portion of the photo above--the head of one of the snakes has been greatly enlarged to allow us to examine the scales on the lips and the side of the snake's face. The photo was processed using image enhancement software to bring out subtle contrasts and enable a more thorough analysis of the snake's features. Note the dark, vertical markings on the snake's upper lip, especially directly below the eye, and the prominent black vertical marking behind the two under the eye (which is on the 6th upper labial scale). Garter snakes have such marks, but ribbon snakes do not. Now notice the pale crescent on the snake's face, back toward the neck. This crescent is at the end of the snake's mouthline, and is characteristic of the checkered garter snake.
Such encounters as this are excellent examples of why snake repellents usually make good investments. In this particular case, however, the first concern should be to remove the prey that the snakes are eating, which appear to be frogs and toads. The best way to do that is to open up the deck they are living under, to allow moisture to escape. That procedure will also help reduce the risk of termites in that area, though it may be necessary, depending on the situation, to take other measures to deal with termite risks as well. Then, using snake repellent will insure the snakes stay away from that area after the frogs and toads are removed. Many thanks to Stacey P. for this excellent photo.
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