Reptile & Amphibian Forums

Can anyone tell me what type of snake this is, and is it posionous (dangerious)at all, my wife is so scared of it and asked me to remove it out of the back yard, should I just leave it alone or move it out of my basement window (It's new home) or will it just come back?, Thanks David

By the way I live in Rhode Island.........David

It's a completely harmless eastern garter snake. No need to worry.
-----
Joe

It is a harmless Garter Snake.If you can move it with out hurting it then move it but it might leave on its on.
Trey

Yes, as the other's mentioned, it's a completely harmless Eastern Garter Snake. If you decide to mess with it, please don't hurt it, or maybe you can get someone in your area to help remove it to safer spot.

~Doug
-----
"Better to be silent and thought a fool, than to open mouth and remove any doubt!"

As the others have said, no need to worry. Also you can tell your wife not to worry, there aren't any native venomous snakes in RI. There were once Timber Rattlesnakes, but they have been extipated. If you head west into MA you can run into Timber Rattlesnakes and Copperheads. Check the link below for more information.
Snakes of RI

WILL THIS SNAKE GET ANY BIGGER OR IS IT FULL GROWN? THE PHOTO SHOWS THE FULL LENGTH, (IS THIS JUST A BABY GARDER) IF SO IS THIER AN OTHER SNAKE AROUND MAYBE THE MOTHER.....? HE IS SILL IN THE SAME SPOT EVERY DAY SOAKING UP THE SUN,THEN HIDES IN THE FOUNDATION OF MY HOME AT NIGHT.......DAVID

It will only get slightly larger than it is now, and the mother is long-gone. What's so horrible about a little harmless Garter Snake being on the property?,....it will cause absolutely ZERO harm to anyone,or anything..C'mon!

I assume you let birds fly in and out of your property,..right?,...it's the same exact thing. It's just another harmless animal that wants to just be allowed to survive, that's all. It won't "attack" anyone, and the only reason to fear it is all in the mind, nothing more, nothing less.

If you go on about your everyday life without worrying about it, it will certainly do the same. It's just like a frog, or a bird, or a chipmunk in your yard....no big deal at all.

best regards, ~Doug
-----
"Better to be silent and thought a fool, than to open mouth and remove any doubt!"

I can't really tell how big your snake is, but he looks smallish. Adult garters are usually around 24-30" long, but they can get quite a bit larger. The mothers do not stay with the young, though it's always possible that there is more than one snake hanging out in the same spot, especially if there's plenty of food and cover. Garters mainly eat earthworms, slugs, amphibians, and fish.

snakes are generally solitary creatures. unlike mammals, they don't travel in packs. And that might likely be the "mother" as they don't get much bigger than that.

Ignore the snake and it will eventually move on as it searches for food.

It's completely harmless and will only bite if you pick it up. Even then, you probably wouldn't even feel it.
-----
1.0.0 Great Plains Ratsnake
1.0.0 Corn, Lavender Aztec het for Amel
0.1.0 Black Ratsnake
0.0.1 Texas Rat (tame)
1.0.0 Broad Banded Water Snake, Hypo
1.0.0 Black Bassador Retriever
2.1.0 Godchildren, 1 Evil, 2 possible hets