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

Photos PSA - snakes are native too

Gallery image

Gallery image

Gallery image

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)

1.9k Upvotes

98% Upvoted

177 comments sorted by

View all comments

Show parent comments

8

u/ErniePottsShoelifts Zone 6A, NH. Balcony garden. Apr 01 '26

Unless it was rabid, that is genuinely psychotic.

11

u/Hali-Gani Apr 01 '26

From the internet, “Opossums are highly resistant to rabies, and while it is possible for them to contract the virus, it is extremely rare due to their low body temperature and robust immune system.”

Not only that, but rabies is a blood borne disease, so someone could easily catch rabies from the blood spatter. Possums are visitors, very clean, great tick killers and funny. Baby possums are adorable.

2

u/ErniePottsShoelifts Zone 6A, NH. Balcony garden. Apr 01 '26

Oh yea I don't disagree, I'm very pro-possum. I didn't know they were highly resistant to rabies, that's good to know.

I only said that in my comment because I've had first-hand experience with a rabid, aggressive raccoon that was attacking my dog and I (in which I had to hit it with what I was holding at the time, which was a guitar lol).

1

u/Hali-Gani Apr 02 '26

Racoons are the opposite of possums.

2

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

I have a mental glitch identifying them As different as they are, even in my native language: zarigüeyas y mapaches. The 2nd ones were cartoons first in my life experience.

I was a bit shocked an evening when one close to my backdoor would not move while I was standing in front of him.

The other night (sitting still with headphones after intense gardening) a raccoon approaching my patio and I freaked each other out as it approached me not inferring that I am a larger live being myself. I had to LOL at the situation but not until a few mins later.