Does anyone know what it is? Is it a good snake to have? Will it eat my tadpoles? I don't want to kill it or chase it away or anything; I love leaving nature to its own... But that doesn't keep me from being curious and just a tad worried.... Help?
Aaaah! Major freakout; snake in my pond!
this is what its back looks like
Egads that is one yucky snake!! I saw one regular garden snake in my pond too!! Nothing special about it, EXCEPT, IT BIT ONE OF MY SMALLER FROGS ON THE SIDE AND PULLED IT UNDER THE WATER, THEN SWAM AWAY WITH IT IN IT'S MOUTH!!!! ACKKKKKKKKKKKKKKKKKKKKK I was standing right over them, so I grabbed for a tree branch, broke it off and started to smack at the snake, but it NEVER LET GO OF THE FROG!
Aaah, Tootsie! You're not helping me calm down my freakout! Now I'm thinking this is even worse than before! Is your snake still around? What did you do after that? Was this recent?
http://www.flmnh.ufl.edu/herpetology/FL-GUIDE/onlineguide.htm#
try this to look it up.. i was going to, but is almost 5:00 and i need to get some actual work done first.. you should never allow internet access at work. hee hee... anyway off the top of my head, a racer - that ;'s a kind that eats mice up here.. but I don't think they swim.... dunno.....
flower..you have my sympathy. Perhaps there is a group you could call like the kind that takes alligators and relocates them in your area. Worth a try. Save the frogs is my motto! Check the yellow pages fast!
I'm really torn, because I love NOT messing with nature. It usually keeps itself in balance just fine if we just don't mess with it. So I'm thinking it's better to leave the snake where it is. I would rather that it didn't show up at all. I don't know what to do. I'm also torn about putting down this fire ant stuff. I am allergic to fire ants and it would tremendously improve my gardening and lounging in the garden experience if I didn't have to worry about them. But I read it most likely will affect frogs and the like.... Playing God in my own yard is hard- what do I do and what should I Ieave be? I haven't done anything with the fire ant destroyer nor the snake. maybe it will actually keep the frog population stronger? But it does freak me out.... aaaah! What to do what to do!?
You still may wish to call and at least have it identified. I hate to say it but Florida does have some venomus snakes that could harm more than your frogs.( pets & children) If he turns out to be a safe one then you can leave him or relocate him to the swamps. He does not need to be harmed and I do not think relocating one snake will do to much harm. Too bad snakes don't eat fire ants. That would take care of that naturally.
It's NOT a snake! It's a legless glass lizard!!
http://www.uga.edu/srelherp/lizards/ophven.htm
http://www.aaanimalcontrol.com/images/snakechase.jpg
lol, i just said the same thing on the other forum it was posted on! Agreed, legless lizard.
WOW! Snapple- thank you so much! I never would have known! Now what? I presume it's eating my baby tadpoles? this is just too weird! I never heard of such a thing!
It bobbed in our pond all day- now I cannot find it. Did it drown? Was it just trapped in my rigid plastic pond with vertical edges? Oh, boy....
Oh, snapple and merry, you beat me to it!
Yep, Glass snake or legless lizard. It has eyelids (snakes have none), ears (snakes have none) and a tail that can fracture/break off and regrow.
I did not know that they liked to swim!?
ooh, maybe it was trapped - not in there because he wanted to be?
Quick! Call a lifeguard!!
Great pictures, by the way
"Glass lizards eat a wide variety of insects, spiders, and other invertebrates as well as small reptiles and probably young rodents. " So it would eat bugs and likely eat snails, not sure about tadpoles. Other water snakes love those, though.
They are totally harmless, non-venomous, and even if they bit you would not be able to hurt you badly. Very cool reptile that is common in it's range, but secretive, active at night, and so seldom seen.
Now I am all worried about him!
Me too! I can't find him! He was sticking his head out ALL day long, even during the rain... My hubby and I commented; that's one stubborn snake! Ignoramus I was! Maybe he needed help! I don't know if he's below the surface or if he got out.... It's dark now and with a flashlight I can't see that much. Especially in the murky water. I guess we can try to spot it tomorrow...
Can you stick a piece of wood in the edge of the pond to give him a way to crawl out?
Or at least hold on until help arrives?
Wait! He has no hands! AAAACCCCCKK!
He's not there- it's either too late or he found a way out. It's pretty hard to get in it (same hard edges) so maybe he got out. I sure hope so.... Can he swim? I have a waterlily in the pond, he could've gone on that to rest.... But he stayed on the other side of the pond and stayed pretty much upright, I guess leaning on the pond shelf? Gosh, very unexpected turn...
Ponding - Never dull! We have quite a group of herpetologists here don't we? LOL This is great. I hope the lizard finds it's way to suitable habitat.
He's back with his head sticking out, like before!
I'm so glad to hear that!!! I'd be tempted to attempt something like pyromomma suggested - build a ramp of sorts. Maybe a log leaning into the water from dry land. We had a trurtle show up unexpectedly last year in our pond. I grabbed a piece of oak (bark and all) from a tree that a neighbor had trimmed and anchored it so that the turtle could get in and out easily. The turtle sunned himself on that log all summer. I think it's really neat you have this lizard.
YAY! I have been worried about him!!
a legless lizard, how cool is that!
Hey! Everyone! I helped him out of the pond with a rake. He was trying to climb up on the waterlily pad to get out (it was right by the edge) He looked like he couldn't make it and he tried so hard! I was able to easily get him since he was somewhat horizontal. He didn't move at all, he didn't try to get away from me or the rake. I was scared he'd fall apart (they shed their tale in time of panic, that's why it's also called the glass lizard) and then be lost in the water. Because he was able to put the end of his tail on the bottom and have his head at the water surface. I love the idea of getting a large branch and sticking it in. What size was yours, Snapple? I set the lizard down right next to the pond. It tried to burrow in the ground. that didn't work to well. Then he found shelter in my ornamental grass and rock area. I hope he likes it there. I'm glad he's ok. :D :D :D
nice work, will you be feeding the little guy... would be nice to have around, as long as it's not too competitive for the food.
Great rescueflowerehj! I luv happy endings ^_^
Oh Happy Day! My log was turtle sized - about 5" in diameter and 3-1/2 feet long. The length was just enough to balance on the bottom and the top edge of a plant shelf without being too steep. Think you'll see him tomorrow?
I haven't seen the guy since he crawled into my plume grass. Maybe he's gone, maybe he's still there. I put a 3" log in my pond About 3.5 ft long :D So maybe he'll go in and out of the pond again... Don't know... I'm not going to feed him. If he can find enough food, this might be the right habitat for him, if not- it would be unnatural to keep him here. I understand they are usually not seen, even in places where they are common. I don't expect to see him again. They like to hide out! :D I'm very happy I didn't do anything hasty, thinking it was a snake. I feel very good that it didn't fall apart (break his tail off like glass) being afraid of me :D
I'll let you guys know if I see him again!
Legless lizards are not usually pond dwellers, as their mobility is a bit limited. BUT, they are good to have around, they eat grubs out of the grass, etc. If the cat grabs one, they break in half and go their merry way.
I have grubs, I NEED a legless lizard!!!!
Well, I would recommend one; it's very adventurous. I haven't spotted 'mine' since it was put back on ground. I did, however, find some holes under the ground about an inch diameter in my flower bed. I wonder if the legless wonder did it, or if I have some other critter having fun in there?
Hmmm.. Webcam??
What an ugly one.... last summer while I was starting to work in one of my beds, I hear this movement and look up and it is a snake eating one of my frogs. I hate snakes, oh I know they have the purpose but non the less I hate them, after I saw that I ran for the house to see if I could find the knife as I was going to go back and cut that snake in half so my frog could escape, but couldn't find it and by the time I got back no more frog and the snake was going down a hole in the bed, so I ran the hose in the hole for a while, which later my next door neighbor told me that I can't flood out a snake..... well so what if I can flood it out it made me feel good....LOL
Janet
haha! Your snake had a good shower, I suppose! Well, mine wasn't a snake thankfully. It was a legless lizard seemingly trapped in my pond with no way to get out. I helped him out and I haven't seen him since. Even though most people dislike snakes, including me, they do have a valueable spot in the foodchain. They help provide a balanse in the frog populations, I suppose. I hope yours didn't come back to bother you!
Janet.. I hear you about snakes. I dont think I would have the guts to kill one unless it was threatning my kids and pets & of course my frogs!! Lucky so far..and have not seen any in my yard..but I know they are out there!!
But Bea, you have no venomous snakes in your part of Oregon! Just leave them alone! You do have a cool snake there, though, called a rubber boa.
Snakes are honored guests here. We go out of our way not to disturb them. This season I'm keeping company with two Garter snakes and a brown snake. They are harmless and a very important part of the ecosystem. Last week I broke our "leave 'em alone" rule and got close enough to a nice sized garter snake to pick it up. What a treat! It was a beauty. It's still hanging around so I guess I didn't scare it too badly. For the rest of the season though it will be hands off and Welcome!
Just googled rubber boa.Not the most attractive snake. Pyromomma ..Would never hurt a snake or any of Gods creatures. There are just some I would rather not have in my yard or look at on a daily basis!
Rubber boas are very drab. They are sometimes called worm snakes, because they have very small eyes, are small and brown, and their tail is rounded - thus sometimes called the two-headed snake.
They are very small and secretive. You will seldom see them.
The reason that I think that they are cool is because they are a boa that lives as far north as Canada. It is one of 3 boa species in the US and is the most northern one.
The first (and only) time that I saw one was after the Fort Vancouver (Washington) Fireworks on July 4th in the 1960s when I was a girl. We went back to the car and it looked like some kid had dropped their toy rubber snake near our back wheel. My brother reached down to move it and IT moved! Well, my mom, who is the reason for me gardening and loving all of the reptiles and amphibians, scooped him up into a green plastic strawberry crate and we took him home and tried to find him in one of our field guides (we were always identifying stuff). The next day we took him to the Portland Zoo to identify him. The zoo guy was all excited, and said that he would be able to trade that little snake to another zoo for something very cool (we never found out what).
All pretty heady stuff for a girl of 8.
If I had a snake in my garden, I'd literally fly into the house! Hate them with a passion! As a youngster, many, many moons ago, I went outside to hunt for my cat. My Grandmother went out to hunt for me. She found me all right: ,,, marching in a straight line, all hunting each other .....: Leader was a BLACK MAMBA, followed by my cat in stalking mode, followed by myself, followed by my grandmother! Ugh! They scare me to death!