CHECKERED GARTER SNAKE

I recently found this little Checkered Garter Snake lying between two cats.  Whenever he would move,  the cats would take turns swatting him with their paw.  I rescued him before he was badly injured and was able to get some great photos before releasing him in a safe area.  The small Checkered Garter Snake is harmless to humans.  A beneficial member of any garden, they help keep an eco-balance by eating small toads, frogs and earthworms.  Even when mature, they only reach an average length of 24 inches or smaller.  Beautifully patterned and colored, their namesake is the obvious checkered pattern with a dominant stripe down the center of the body and a single dot in the center of their head.  Like most snakes, they smell with their tongue.  There is an organ in their head which interprets whether something is predator or prey, even the direction and distance.  Although most snakes lay eggs, garter snakes are unusual, in that they give live birth.  An average litter size is 10 to 13, but most fall victim to their own natural predators, including humans, before reaching maturity.  The delicate babies look just like their parents and are capable of feeding  themselves from the moment they are born.  Like most small creatures in a backyard wildlife habitat, it is a rare and exciting sighting...another sign all is well in the garden.