Really crazy herping photo

[infernalis]

A friend took this just the other day... Crazy little snake should be hibernating.

http://i265.photobucket.com/albums/ii204/tspuckler/Garters/last2.jpg

[NennaMeerkat]

LOL Little guy is just a bit confused...

[Damion930]

Wow its amazing he would even have the ability to be active in such conditions that's quite a pic

[marvelfreak]

Poor little guy.

[percey39]

He definetely looks out of his elements in that photo.

[Will0W783]

Poor little fellow- he's probably so cold and confused. I hope he made it safely back to a den.

[shaunyboy]

Poor little fellow- he's probably so cold and confused. I hope he made it safely back to a den.


thats what i was thinking kimberley

was he coming out a den for something to eat ?

or had he come out of hibernation a little too soon ?

i'd love to hear your thoughts on this wayne ?

do they come out for a meal at this time of year ?

i would have thought not as the temperatures would be all wrong for digestion ?

look forward to everyones theory's on this wee guy

cheers shaun

[Ch^4]

Poor little guy! Maybe confused, or forced out of his den by a predator? Maybe his den collapsed?..

[hawghollow]

that is crazy!

[infernalis]

thats what i was thinking kimberley

was he coming out a den for something to eat ?

or had he come out of hibernation a little too soon ?

i'd love to hear your thoughts on this wayne ?

do they come out for a meal at this time of year ?

i would have thought not as the temperatures would be all wrong for digestion ?

look forward to everyones theory's on this wee guy

cheers shaun


The snake is a Storeria Dekayi (AKA Dekayi Brown Snake) and from my own observations they are the absolute hardiest (right along with garter snakes) when it comes to cold weather.

I see these wee snakes very late in the fall and very early in the spring.

I cannot confirm, but I don't think this species dens with other snakes, I think they find a spot solo and simply keep from freezing solid.

Tim (The guy who took the picture) warmed up the snake in his hands and set it free on dry ground away from the snow.

The primary diet is garden slugs, I have seen slugs out when the ground seemed frozen, so maybe he was out for a snack??

[Reptile_Reptile]

wow amazing

[NennaMeerkat]

Very cool, thanks for that info for sure! I think if it had been me I would have held unto him until spring and then let him go again. Would it have been hard to keep him alive until then?

[infernalis]

Very cool, thanks for that info for sure! I think if it had been me I would have held unto him until spring and then let him go again. Would it have been hard to keep him alive until then?


I have done it myself, just feed chopped up night crawlers. They will take worms.

A few years ago I kept a slug colony in my basement just for feeding these.

[Ch^4]

I have done it myself, just feed chopped up night crawlers. They will take worms.

A few years ago I kept a slug colony in my basement just for feeding these.

That's awesome, I don't think I've ever heard of a slug colony!

[infernalis]

That's awesome, I don't think I've ever heard of a slug colony!


We had an old chest freezer, it was broken so I chopped off the cord.

I put about 1 foot of loose soil and compost in the bottom, went out slug hunting for several days, caught all kinds and gathered eggs too.

I put it all in the old chest freezer and fed leftover tossed salad greens to them.

The toughest part is keeping them contained, slugs are master escape artists, without a tight sealing freezer to keep them in, they will all escape, so using a tote is not an option, they will flatten down and squeeze right through the smallest cracks.

That's why I don't still do it. The freezer was starting to fall apart, all the damp compost started rotting the floor right out of it.

[Ch^4]

That's crazy! I never thought of slugs as escape artists...Also sounds like they were a living garbage disposal!

[infernalis]

Slugs thrive on greens, that's why they attack gardens.

That's why gardeners who kill snakes are fools......

[shaunyboy]

The snake is a Storeria Dekayi (AKA Dekayi Brown Snake) and from my own observations they are the absolute hardiest (right along with garter snakes) when it comes to cold weather.

I see these wee snakes very late in the fall and very early in the spring.

I cannot confirm, but I don't think this species dens with other snakes, I think they find a spot solo and simply keep from freezing solid.

Tim (The guy who took the picture) warmed up the snake in his hands and set it free on dry ground away from the snow.

The primary diet is garden slugs, I have seen slugs out when the ground seemed frozen, so maybe he was out for a snack??


it must be so nice to see all these little wonders in your own back yard mate

i hope the wee guy makes it through to spring looks like he would produce some hardy offspring

cheers shaun

[shaunyboy]

Slugs thrive on greens, that's why they attack gardens.

That's why gardeners who kill snakes are fools......


anyone who kills snakes or any creature for that matter are fools mate

nothing like a bit of ignorance to get the human race killing stuff.....!!

cheers shaun

[snakehunter]

yep, these guys and Thamnophis are known for coming out "too early"

the early bird gets the worm right!?!?!?

[infernalis]

Welcome back snakehunter....

[bo2as]

nice! thats pretty interesting :)