[Ron Fontaine]

Here in the Great North Woods there are no poisonous snakes. Actually, there are rumors of the occasional rattlesnake but I have never seen one or met anyone who has found a rattler in the area.

This feisty little garter snake stood its ground in the forest yesterday. About 16-inches long, with a small bulge from its last meal of forest toad, frog, or mouse.

At first the snake acted quite ferocious. Then it calmed down as it became curious about its reflection in the camera lens.

[heysmithy]

Wow.. Ive actually never seen a garter snake do anything but run away. Great footage! Thanks for sharing.

Also, does anybody know what type of garter snake that was? Around here all the garter snakes are striped long ways.

[vthompson]

Here in my area the garter snakes are striped longways also.

[Mac]

that is honestly the most ferocious garter snake i've ever seen.

I catch snakes whenever I see them so I can admire them, teach kids, etc then release them. Been bit plenty of times, but NEVER by a garter snake!

Good find Ron. Interesting fact about NH - I would of thought rattlers/copperheads would be up there too!

Thanks for sharing

Mac

[BlueDude13]

Last summer I was up in Maine at a summer camp teaching kids rock climbing and ropes courses and the counselor from Maine told us that there weren't any venomous/poisonous snakes up there, at least that were native. The grounds keeper/head of maintenance mentioned that in a few places, timber rattlers were making an appearance but weren't very common. Here in Northern VA we have rattlers, copperheads, and cotton mouths/water moccasins. Up at camp though we had a few large (14-20inch) snakes that liked to hangout near the canoe docks and on the central trail. They were gorgeous.

[wildone9]

i just came back from a little trip in the woods just a walking distance from where i live to check on a deadfall. It wasn't triggered. While walking slowly to check for other places down the rabbit trail to set up the deadfall, about 6 feet in front of me on the very same trail i was walking on, a bull snake rose its head up from the ground like a king cobra does and started hissing like crazy. Never seen 'em do that before. Bastard scared the bejeesus out of me. I was so focused on looking for a place to setup the deadfall that i never saw him. It was a good size snake too.. at least 5 feet long. Luckily he didn't come at me, he disappeared in a hole underneath a tree. I was a little shook up so i called it a day. Must've been the loud hissing so close to me! That bastard

[Ronnie]

Originally Posted by Mac

that is honestly the most ferocious garter snake i've ever seen.

I catch snakes whenever I see them so I can admire them, teach kids, etc then release them. Been bit plenty of times, but NEVER by a garter snake!

Good find Ron. Interesting fact about NH - I would of thought rattlers/copperheads would be up there too!

Thanks for sharing

Mac

I was bitten by a garter snake when i was 13 or 14 years old, I took the snake
home and my dad put a wood top over an aquarium and drilled some air holes in it. he told me i could keep it a few days then take it back where i got it. That night the snake gave birth to 53 baby snakes (thats how many we found over the next few days) I guess that is why she bit me. That is also the last time my mother let me bring a snake in the house.

[heysmithy]

When I was young I found a huge black snake, probably a little over 4 feet. I brought it home and taped it up in a cardboard box. I waited until dad was alone and then I told him about it and that I wanted to keep it. He said "don't tell your mom until you can get a proper aquarium for it". Well I had some allowance saved up already so I bought the aquarium, then a week later I forgot to close the lid and it escaped. Mom was scared and jumpy for weeks. Then one day my uncle (mom's brother) comes to the house and gives me a rubber snake to scare mom with. I coiled it up and hid it between my parents bed sheets. That night I heard mom scream like I've never heard her scream before. Apparently the snake came uncoiled in a very life-like fashion when my parents raised the sheets. And of course I was grounded for a while. But I got a good story out of it, so well worth it.

[kevin]

cool video. my kids an I were trying to snag a baby garter in the backyard tonight but lost it in the tall grass. no where near as big as that one though.

[Mac]

Originally Posted by Ronnie

I was bitten by a garter snake when i was 13 or 14 years old, I took the snake
home and my dad put a wood top over an aquarium and drilled some air holes in it. he told me i could keep it a few days then take it back where i got it. That night the snake gave birth to 53 baby snakes (thats how many we found over the next few days) I guess that is why she bit me. That is also the last time my mother let me bring a snake in the house.

That is hilarious!

Garter snakes is one of the few snakes that gives birth live....

I can only imagine what that looked like!