Big Garter Snake

This is something I've been waiting a long time for. Last year, before I was known as The Everyday Adventurer, I saw Garter Snakes on two separate occasions. They were both on the trail in the meadow area of this park. I almost stepped on one of them. Both snakes were very small. I've been looking to get a picture of a snake ever since.

Back to the present. I was walking on the trail in the back of the park, where it's pretty dark, and I was actually thinking about snakes. This Garter Snake must have been lying right on the trail. As I got close, it shot quickly off the trail, to the left where you see it here. This one was at least two feet long; it was huge.

I quickly stopped and thought whoa, that thing is fast, and big; I gotta get a picture of it! It stopped just on the edge of the trail, so I was able to get several pictures like these. I hope you like them. I do!

My first memory of a Garter Snake was when my grandma found one when she was gardening. She picked it up and showed it to me. I was amazed that she wasn't afraid of it, because I was terrified. She told me they weren't dangerous. I guessed she was right, because it didn't try to bite her, but I still didn't want anything to do with it. She finally tossed it off to the side away from us. My grandma was great.

As my grandma told me, garter snakes are basically harmless to humans. Like any other wild animal, they can bite if they are in danger. They also have a mild venom that can cause irritation. They don't have big fangs like some snakes, so they chew when they bite. Like all other snakes, they are predators, and will eat most anything smaller than them. There aren't any known cases of serious injury from these snakes, but don't mess with them, they are wild.

Enjoy the pictures!