Hi, I'm REALLY new to snakes. I live in SC and am the type that screams when surprised by a snake. I've handled quite a few snakes in the past few years and really want to learn more about them so I can share my yard and not fear them so much. I went Kayaking a few weeks ago and the guide found a little green snake and ask if anyone wanted to hold it. I told the 12 year old boy next to me that I would hand it to him but might scream when I did. He said No. As soon as I said it I knew I had just set him up to be afraid. So I took the snake, handled it for awhile and then ask the boy if he wanted it. He said yes. Knowledge conquers fear so I want to learn which is safe and which is poisonous. The pest control man saw a snake in my flower bed on Monday when he was checking for termites, and told me I had a copperhead. I put my snake boots on and poked around the next day and saw a brown snake quickly go by. Today I did the same and saw him before I scared him too much. Here's the picture. http://imgur.com/EkDqUZv
When I looked him up I came up with Brown Water snake. My brother agreed and said he has a lot around his pond. But why is he living in my raised flower bed? He's about 50 to 75 feet away from the storm water ditch and it has no fish. Usually it's dry at the time but is clogged up and not able to drain, so it has about 2 feet of water in an area about 5 X 8' rectangle. The rest of the ditch is just muddy for about 20 feet then dry. Second time I looked him up I decided it may be a Eastern Brown Garter snake. I don't want to kill a snake that is not going to hurt myself or my 20 pound dog. I just need to know what they are. I"m hoping this is the place to come for help when I encounter a new snake, and with your help I'll maybe even learn learn to like snakes. I'm 5 miles from the ocean so the land here is flat. The swamps have been filled in to create housing developments so the drainage ditches are the only places left for most of the snakes to live. I had my yard piped but the neighbors on either side of my just put up a fence and igore the ditch. Thanks in advance for all your help and for having such a great site.
When I looked him up I came up with Brown Water snake. My brother agreed and said he has a lot around his pond. But why is he living in my raised flower bed? He's about 50 to 75 feet away from the storm water ditch and it has no fish. Usually it's dry at the time but is clogged up and not able to drain, so it has about 2 feet of water in an area about 5 X 8' rectangle. The rest of the ditch is just muddy for about 20 feet then dry. Second time I looked him up I decided it may be a Eastern Brown Garter snake. I don't want to kill a snake that is not going to hurt myself or my 20 pound dog. I just need to know what they are. I"m hoping this is the place to come for help when I encounter a new snake, and with your help I'll maybe even learn learn to like snakes. I'm 5 miles from the ocean so the land here is flat. The swamps have been filled in to create housing developments so the drainage ditches are the only places left for most of the snakes to live. I had my yard piped but the neighbors on either side of my just put up a fence and igore the ditch. Thanks in advance for all your help and for having such a great site.
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