Check out this Ring Necked snake that frequents my wintering den. I see it in the spring and fall. The main body is a metallic blue that the camera doesn't catch it perfectly. It has a bright yellow ring bordered by black and yellow belly scales.

I have always been interested in wildlife and snakes are a big part of it. I caught my first garter snake at age 5 it was about 3' long and did I surprise my mother. Now I have my own den of Garter snakes that help me in my garden. Already the snakes are entering the winter den areas getting ready to hibernate through the winter. Most dens are deep into the ground below the freezing line. They will wake in the spring around the end of March. At Ryan's Meadow in Vermont I have seen them sunning themselves on rocks in between snow drifts in early spring. Ring Necked Snakes abound in Ryan's Meadow and there are 3 different color variations. Snakes do not bother people and should be left alone. They are good in the garden where they eat insect pests. They do also eat toads and frogs and one of my big females may have stolen a few from my neighbors lily pond. A lunch like that will hold a snake over for weeks before needing to feed again. See the boards in the background of the above picture? Well they are my snake counting stations. Snakes will hide under them to escape detection. By quickly and briefly picking them up I could count and identify many individuals. Some summers I would see as many as 40 different snakes. My two favorites are the brown and the standard color phase females that always sun themselves on my wood pile. They are at least 6 years old. I see many of their offspring each year. As you can see my den contains a few of the color variations of the Eastern Garter Snake. My only missing snake I would like to have is the green grass snake. I can't find any here though I brought a few when I moved here in 1972. Click on any picture below to enlarge.