Are you willing to look closer?
Do you really want a closer look?
Don’t look too close or you might have some eye contact!
Common Garter Snake
Welcome!
Welcome to the mon@rch nature blog and I hope you join us in some of our nature adventures through the Allegany State Park area!
I am a naturalist, field biologist and nature photographer from the Western New York area. I have started exploring nature writing through this blog and it truly has been fun sharing my numerous adventures with everyone. Thanks to the many other authors that help me with my post and they will be sharing some of their nature explorations.
I have always had a latent interest in birds and photography and have been lucky enough to find time to explore these interests over the last few years. I am very thankful to the Cattaraugus County Bird Club for getting me started, sharing their wealth of knowledge and for their wonderful programs. And many thanks to Tom for letting me share some of my adventures and photos on the Monarch Nature Blog.
Thank you for taking the time visiting and commenting on this blog.
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I know these snakes are supposed to good mouse hunters. He has mean looking eyes though. ~Nita~
4 October 2007 at 9:39 pm
Awesome Tom, my seven year-old loves snakes he will get a charge out of this.
4 October 2007 at 9:57 pm
He sure can flatten himself out. He can probably slip right under a door. He is a bit scary looking.
I read somewhere once that you are probably never 10 feet away from a snake if you are outdoors. I just thought of the silver lining to having my eyesight get worse.
4 October 2007 at 10:39 pm
Nice shots. 🙂
4 October 2007 at 10:42 pm
They do have some beautiful color on them.
4 October 2007 at 11:25 pm
@ nita – lol I sure hope they are!
@ Bernie – sure hope he likes it! Thanks!
@ Barbara – I am not worried about this guy going under my door! But, maybe if you have a big enough space!
@ Nick – thanks!
@ Toni – thanks, they sure do!
4 October 2007 at 11:46 pm
I hope you have a nice long lens for this one, coming from a place (Australia) where we have some of the most deadly snakes in the world you can imagine that they are not my favourite of creatures, great photos though.
5 October 2007 at 12:01 am
Great photos! Dakota is always on the lookout for Garter Snakes around here. They are harmless, but they can spook you if you are not paying attention!
5 October 2007 at 1:11 am
SO slick he looks like he’s made of marble.
5 October 2007 at 6:52 am
Gorgeous creature and he does have a mean look in his eye. He looks so slick.
5 October 2007 at 9:46 am
As long as they are the non-poisonous kind I don’t mind snakes. They do so much good. This one looks harmless enough. One of the first things I was happy about when I moved to Erie was that there are no (known) poisonous snakes in our county. So hiking around is much more pleasurable without worrying about a rattlesnake or the like which was a constant fear out west.
5 October 2007 at 10:52 am
Your photo is better than mine (of course)!
I think they’re sort of nice looking.
5 October 2007 at 12:39 pm
@ Susy – LOL, hope was using my point and shoot in macro for this shot! I can believe that have some dozy of snakes their. Thanks and a big high five from Australia!
@ Veery – this one I didn’t see at first and he wasn’t to happy to see my camera!
@ jayne – if made of marble, it would have been easier to get a shot with it not moving!
@ liz – thanks and he is giving me that evil look for sure!
@ erie – nope, very harmless for sure! We have not had Timber Rattlesnakes here since the 70’s but I have heard they have been making a come back!
@ mary – I just have a different style but thanks!
5 October 2007 at 12:46 pm
Interesting but your garter snake looks paler than the garter snakes I see down here. The stripe looks the same but the background color looks paler. Or is that the photo??
Carolyn H.
5 October 2007 at 12:48 pm
Great close-ups! What a beautiful little creature. I love when I get to see one here. They seem to show up from out of nowhere and disappear the same way.
5 October 2007 at 1:22 pm
What I mind about garter snakes is they are smelly to handle. ugh!
5 October 2007 at 1:51 pm
Really nice snake photos. I find them terribly hard to photograph and never get clear pictures.
5 October 2007 at 1:55 pm
Yup, I’m willing! These are great photos Tom!! I love looking at snakes real close. We usually come across each other while I’m weeding one of my gardens! I’m surprised you didn’t get some tongue!! They usually have it wiggling at me when I’m close.
5 October 2007 at 5:19 pm
I do love snakes even tho I am somewhat skittish!
Your photo is gorgeous!
Sherry
5 October 2007 at 6:13 pm
I never realized they had such human eyes. Beautiful brown or amber color. I don’t think I’d be getting up close though… I still have hangups about snakes.
5 October 2007 at 7:37 pm
I don’t like snakes and am grateful that we have no poisonous ones in our area. I have seen more snakes in the past 2 weeks that I have seen all summer. It is unseasonably warm and they are out on the pathways and rocks. I am always startled when I see them. My walking partner tried to pick one up today, but I strongly opposed the idea!
5 October 2007 at 8:26 pm
The first photo really brings out the beauty in the snake’s coloring. Amazing shots!
5 October 2007 at 10:59 pm
Awesome close-ups! If you get hungry, just pick up a box of Snake n Bake!
5 October 2007 at 11:46 pm
@ Carolyn – thanks and this was a little guy! Hmm, not sure but it’s on a dirt road if that helps! But I thought it looked greener in real life!
@ Robin – This one wasn’t too interested in having its picture but then decided to strike a pose for me!
@ Grace – They sure are! Main reason this isn’t a snake in the hand shot!
@ threecollie – thanks and sometimes I have a hard time getting a picture also!
@ Nature Woman – thanks and it has a very red tongue and did get it but the rest of the picture didn’t turn out!
@ Sherry – Thanks
@ Red – They are fun for sure and it is amazing what we notice when we look up close!
@ Ruth – glad you don’t have any around also! You either like them or don’t!
@ Wren – but what about the other pictures? LOL – thanks
@ Larry – thanks and that’s a good one!
6 October 2007 at 12:08 am
Cool Snake photo, Mon@rch. It has very large eyes….larger than most snakes? Was it a very big snake?
7 October 2007 at 4:04 pm
He is a beauty… I love how you can make out he has brown eyes. Now who would have ever thought that a snakes eyes are colored.. just holding them as a kids I was just trying to not get them to bite me – amazing shots Monarch. I feel like suddenly I have a “now you know” rainbow over my head.
8 October 2007 at 11:07 pm