Yesterday I was filling up the bird feeders when I found seven small snake skins that had recently been shed. The skins were all found in a very small area. They were just over a foot long and the width of a pencil. After a bit of research (thank you Robert Smith), it was determined that the skins were most likely from livebearers, and non-venomous. After a short hunt, I found one of the babies curled up in the hose. Robert identified them as baby rat snakes (pantherophis obsoleta) from a photo I sent him. These snakes are common in this neck of the woods, and are not venomous!
Today when I went outside I found several more fresh skins in the same area! Shortly after that, I discovered another baby curled up in the grill (BBQ for all my Canadian friends!). Luckily I found him before we lit the grill! After catching him and relocating him to the garden, I grabbed my camera and got a few shots. This little guy is about 15″ long with gorgeous markings, and very cute!
I understand that these guys get up to six feet in length, so I hope they move on shortly!
