![]() ![]() This species is locally common in the eastern and southern Lower Peninsula.Įastern Garter Snake (Thamnophis sirtalis)Ī medium sized striped snake with variable coloration. When frightened, these snakes may wriggle rapidly back and forth with little forward motion. They can be common in urban vacant lots where there are objects to hide under and lots of earthworms, a favorite food. Adult length: 15 to 27 inches.īutler’s Garter Snakes prefer moist meadows, marshes, and lake edges. Some specimens have dark spots between the stripes. These shy little animals are rarely seen in the open, and spend much time under objects or underground.įound throughout the Lower Peninsula and the southern tip of the Upper Peninsula, brown snakes can be common even in farming and residential areas.īutler’s Garter Snake (Thamnophis butleri)Ī small black, brown, or olive snake with three distinct yellow stripes down the back and a yellowish belly. ![]() The belly is white, cream, or pinkish in color. Once common, their numbers have fallen in many places.Ī small brown or gray snake with a light stripe down the back bordered by black dots. Racers have been found through most of the Lower Peninsula (except the northernmost sections) and the southern tip of the Upper Peninsula. They will bite if cornered or grabbed, racers are not venomous. Young racers are grayish, with a pattern of darker blotches and spots. The head is usually darker than the body, though the chin and throat are white. They are listed as a “species of special concern” by the Michigan Department of Natural Resources, and are protected by state law.Ī large gray or blue snake with smooth scales. If cornered or grabbed these snakes may hiss and strike, but are non venomous and harmless to humans.īlack Rat Snakes occur in the southern half of the Lower Peninsula, but are rare and declining. ![]() Young rat snakes are patterned with dark blotches on a gray background, and traces of this juvenile coloration are often visible in adult specimens. Anyone wishing to take or study reptiles or amphibians (frogs, toads, salamanders) in Michigan should contact the Department of Natural Resources Fisheries Division for details and licensing requirements.Ī large shiny black snake with a white chin and throat. ![]() Shooting of snakes and other reptiles is prohibited. Rare and declining species are now protected from persecution and exploitation, and all species are affected by limits on numbers that can be taken or removed from the wild. The State of Michigan has enacted legislation to provide for the protection and regulation of native reptiles and Michigan recently amphibians. (Simply leaving snakes alone and using care when walking in natural areas will prevent nearly all bites – these creatures do not seek confrontation with humans and accidental bites are rare.) A bite from a non venomous snake can normally be treated as one would a scratch or puncture wound, with ample precaution against infection. The vast majority are harmless, and the venomous species can be identified with minimal training and avoided with simple precautions when visiting natural areas. Egg-laying usually occurs in early summer, with the eggs deposited in an empty rodent burrow, in moist sand or soil, or under a log or stump. Of Michigan’s 17 snake species, 10 are live-bearing and 7 lay eggs. Accessible basements and houses with cracked foundations may also attract shelter seeking snakes, often to the dismay of homeowners!Īlthough the majority of reptiles reproduce by laying shelled eggs, many snakes give birth to babies that develop inside the mother’s body. Extended exposure to freezing conditions would be fatal, and they pass the winter in a dormant state in underground rodent burrows or other natural frost free shelters. In Michigan, most snakes probably prefer a body temperature of about 75 to 85 degrees F. Like nearly all reptiles, snakes adjust their body temperature by moving in and out of warm or cool places. ![]()
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