By Staff
You sure can't tell it by the weather but spring is here. Sooner or later this snotty weather is going to break and we'll all stampede outside to do yard work, hunt mushrooms and turkeys, smell the flowers, watch the birds and do all the other things that draw us afield. Amongst all the flora and fauna we are out there to enjoy are going to be snakes, which for most of us are close to the bottom of the enjoyable list. I don't know why snakes give most of us the willies. We're not born with a natural fear of snakes, it's something we learn. Why we pick snakes to demonize is a mystery for there are many far more dangerous and fearsome things out there. Anyway, it is what it is.
Knowledge is one of the best tools for overcoming fear. The more we learn about the snakes we come across and how benign they really are the less fearful of them we will be. Equally important, the less likely we will needlessly persecute them. Several of our totally harmless snake species such as the blue racer and hog-nose snake have declined significantly due in part to people killing them just because they were a snake. Snakes play a key role in the eco-system by preying on mice, voles, toads, various insects and other things that could run rampant if left unchecked.
First, let's get it in our heads that here in Michigan and Northern Indiana there is only one venomous snake, the massasauga rattlesnake. They are quite rare, to the point they are being considered for the endangered species list. They are only found in certain moist, grassy marshes and the adjacent uplands. It is unlikely you'll ever see one even if you tried. They only grow to about two feet long and don't deliver enough venom to be fatal. No one has ever died from a massasauga bite (though there are several reports of panic heart attacks after being bitten). Secondly, snakes do not chase people. Think about it. Snakes are one inch high, a couple feet long, weigh only a few ounces and have only tiny little teeth for weapons. Would you go around unarmed chasing elephants? If a snake comes toward you it's just because you happen to be in his chosen escape route. Step aside. In addition, three or four m.p.h. is whizzing along at top speed for most of our snakes. You can walk that fast.
By far the most common snakes here in Michigan, and throughout North America for that matter, are garter snakes and their close relative, ribbon snakes. They can be difficult to tell apart. Both are slender and average one and a half to two feet long. A three-footer would be huge. They have three lengthwise stripes running down their body, one on top and one on each side. Ribbon snakes are black or brown and the stripes are white or bright yellow. Garter snakes have more color variation. They can be anything from black to gray, brown or olive. The stripes are usually yellowish and not as bright as the ribbon snake. In some individuals the stripes may be quite dark or absent all together. Often garter snakes have dark spots between the stripes, giving them a "checkered" appearance. Garter snakes can be found anywhere from marsh edges to woodlands, fields and even suburban yards. They eat worms, frogs, toads, minnows and small mammals such as mice and voles. Ribbon snakes stick closer to water such as streams, ponds and marshes where they eat mostly frogs, tadpoles, small fish and salamanders.
Like any animal, they will readily defend themselves when threatened. If you handle one he'll probably try to bite. Their needle-like teeth are short and may or may not break the skin. Other than some deserved pain the bite is harmless, though it should be treated as any open wound with antiseptic to prevent infection. Both garter and ribbon snakes are plentiful so it's almost a given that eventually you'll come across one. Leave them alone, they'll leave you alone and everyone will be happy. Carpe diem.