We have a small snake in our pond, which I think is a garter snake. I know they can eat fish, but this one is only about 1 ft long. Should I worry about the snake eating the adult fish? I have koi/goldfish that are 6" to 8" long. I don't mind non-poisionous snakes, I just don't want to lose fish that I've bought.
snake?
I think the snake is too small to eat a 6" fish. However if you have one garter snake I bet you have more around. I think it is unlikely that they will make any impact on your fish population. I think you should just enjoy having them as you suggested. Garter snakes occur in most of the country so I bet the majority of pond owners have them around.
Here's a picture
I didn't know garter snakes had that kind of pattern.... here they are usually striped or solid greens and blacks. Atleast the one's I've seen. Last year I had a rattler in my flower bed that had a pattern on it a lot like that one you have a pic of.
~Julie
It doesn't look like a garter snake to me either. There are other kinds of water snakes.
Here is a link with some Texas snakes. http://www.zo.utexas.edu/research/txherps/snakes/
This message was edited Aug 28, 2005 8:41 PM
Looks more like a baby rat snake, or even a variation of a bull snake. Handsome little devil, all the same. I'll trade you a couple leopard frogs for 'em! :o)
This looks like either a young rat snake or a young common watersnake - neither of which is poisonous, & neither of which will do any damage to the size fish you have in your pond.
Pixydish I don't know why the link didn't work... sorry.
aggicorgi I asked the guy who runs the site on Texas snakes to ID your snake and he wrote me the following:
"The picture is of a blotched watersnake (Nerodia erythrogaster). Non-venomous,
but can be extremely beligerent when cornered or handled. They will be bite
repeatedly when threatened. They primarily eat frogs and fish."
He thought your picture was pretty cool.
try looking up a black rat snake that be my guess
Quoting:
... can be extremely beligerent when cornered or handled ...
Sounds like someone I once married!
LOL!!!
And I left the words "when cornered or handled" in there to simply soften the emotional impact of that statement!!!!!!
A friend of ours came out and identified it as a bloched water snake. I'll update with a better picture of him when I get home (the snake, not the friend). He can stay for now, but when he gets big enough to eat my fish or eats all my toads we'll be relocating him to the nearest natural creek or pond.
You probably have a Natrix
my reptile book says that while all water snakes are not poisonous, all will bite, some with severe lacerations
This message was edited Sep 15, 2005 11:28 PM
Many people will see a snake swimming in the water and call it a water moccasin. But most of these sightings are of the nonpoisonous common water snake, Natrix sipedon.
The Natrix is aggressive, especially when threatened. Although it is not poisonous and has no fangs, it does have several rows of sharp teeth and WILL bite.