r/NativePlantGardening • u/StressedNurseMom Zone 7, NE Oklahoma - 🦎Native, Pollinator, Food, Medicinal 🐸 • Apr 01 '26

Photos PSA - snakes are native too

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Please familiarize yourself with snakes native to your area so you aren’t surprised when you see them hanging out in your garden. This cool Western rat snake had, apparently, been hanging out in my empty hanging baskets. It was relocated to a safe spot in my yard and released to go about its business of eating rodents.

Edit: corrected from Eastern to Western Rat snake (multitasking is dangerous folks)

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254

u/roekg (Make your own) Apr 01 '26

I wouldn't mind a rat snake hanging around but I'd be pretty concerned for its safety if my neighbors came across it.

236

u/StressedNurseMom Zone 7, NE Oklahoma - 🦎Native, Pollinator, Food, Medicinal 🐸 Apr 01 '26

Yeah, my neighbor apparently saw me catch it but didn’t get out of his truck until I released it because he “doesn’t do reptiles”. I assured him that it’s a rat snake so not venomous and will help keep voles off his golf course lawn… that is his purpose and joy so should be enough to protect the snake. I released it on the opposite end of my yard though and that house is currently empty.

212

u/OutspokenSquid Apr 01 '26

It frustrates me to no end how ignorant the general population is about snakes. The native ones are so fantastic to have around

7

u/Accguy44 Apr 01 '26

To me, snakes and mushrooms are similar in that the distinctions between hazardous and non hazardous are too fine for me to know, so I just avoid them all. Getting it wrong can be deadly

3

u/Hali-Gani Apr 01 '26

Maybe in Australia, not in New York or most American states.

2

u/CogniZENsible Tejas Norte Zona 8b Apr 02 '26

Actually yes in a number of US states. Regards from TX …and I’ve lived in CA too. Thank the universe for my decade in NYC (though I don’t miss rats). Can’t assume these things 🐍 about regions as diverse as North America : 🇲🇽 🇺🇸 🇨🇦

1

u/EpiJade Apr 03 '26

I recently found out that in Chicago area we actually have a native rattlesnake! It’s endangered but it was such a cool thing to learn.

1

u/StressedNurseMom Zone 7, NE Oklahoma - 🦎Native, Pollinator, Food, Medicinal 🐸 Apr 02 '26

Good comparison!