Hello from VA

[JMixx]

Hi all! I don't have a Herp right now; both of my pets are the furry variety. I've had two in the past, a Garter and a subspecies of Garter, a Ribbon snake. Both very sweet-natured.

Right now all of the snakes I interact with are "just friends." We have at least two Black Racers whose territory includes the building where I work (it is in a rural area). So far I have only "met" the male, but others have seen the female, and there is evidence from behavior that others have observed that we will soon have babies sunning on our walkways. It is a pretty habitat for them; I hope they learn quickly to avoid the mowers!!

JMixx

[Chu'Wuti]

Welcome to the forum, JMixx! What fun you're having! I wonder how long you'll have to wait to see the babies?

[Will0W783]

Welcome to the forum! You'll have to try to get pictures of the babies when they come- sounds great. Enjoy them!

[jonny666]

welcome to the forum.

[JMixx]

Thanks for the welcome! I hope to see the babies; at the same time, I hope we don't see TOO much of them. Some other employees have already suggested "getting rid" of the ones we already have. I asked them whether they would rather watch our peaceful, harmless Black Racers occasionally go by, or whether they would rather be overrun by mice, voles, moles, and various other rodents. Oh, and bugs. Targeting one species of snake would undoubtedly also get rid of all the shy Garter snakes we never see, that keep us from being overrun by bugs. Fortunately, most of the people I work with will actually think rationally when you give them some information. Also, they know that if one of the bigger girls is sunbathing on the front sidewalk, they have someone willing to persuade her gently to move along!

Also, we have a healthy population of Red-Tailed and Red-Shouldered Hawks. If the babies are too bold, they might end up as dinner.

Anyway, I AM enjoying all the wildlife around where I work!

Jennifer

[Will0W783]

That is so neat. I work in a lab all day, so I don't get to see any wildlife there. I'd love to have snakes outside my work!

[Chu'Wuti]

I agree with Kimberly! What a wonderful place to work!

[JMixx]

I have a seed and hummingbird feeder suction-cupped to my office window, we have bunnies and chipmunks outside, and the groundhogs regularly raise their two or three little furry babies a year in our patch of woods. In addition to the Racers, we have some pretty neat little lizards with blue tails that sun themselves on the steps at at least three of our doorways.

My job is pretty cool too. I'm lucky with respect to work!

[Chu'Wuti]

You are indeed! I'm curious about your neat little lizards with blue tails

They sound like they may be skinks--perhaps the Southeastern Five-lined Skink (Plestiodon inexpectatus). Check out this website: Virginia Herpetological Society - Lizards of Virginia (http://fwie.fw.vt.edu/VHS/reptiles/lizards/lizards_of_virginia.htm) and see what you think! That site looks like a great resource for you. You might even find a local herp society is meeting not too far from you--it can be a lot of fun to go to the meetings or on field trips with them.

Let me know what you think about your little blue-tails!

[JMixx]

Based on the pics on the site, our little blue-tailed guys could be either the SE Five-Lined or the Common Five-Lined. More likely the Common; the blue on the tails usually doesn't extend all the way up to the base of the tail, and some are only faintly blue-ish. Both of the body shapes look right, tho; definitely skinks! (Of course, in Goochland County, there is no rule that says we can't have both; and we might!)

Now I am wondering what the toads are... (I call them "plop-frogs," although I don't think they are really frogs, because when they cross open spaces they kind of "plop" from one spot to the next. Crawl crawl PLOP...crawl crawl PLOP!) Give them neckties and they could be Wall Street CFOs...

[Chu'Wuti]

Again turning to your state herp society:

Virginia Herpetological Society - Frogs and Toads of Virginia (http://fwie.fw.vt.edu/VHS/amphibians/frogsandtoads/frogs_and_toads_of_virginia.htm)

Have fun!