http://extension.oregonstate.edu/4hwildlifestewards/pdfs/reptiles.pdf
Sunday, March 8, 2015
AttractingSnakes intoyourBackyard– tips for reptile-friendly landscaping and gardening
What can I do?
1. Provide hiding places
Snakes require shelter from their many predators such as hawks and crows that are
quick to make a meal of them. Suitable hiding places may consist of rocks or decaying
logs, brush piles, or patches of dense shrub or herbaceous vegetation.
One of the simplest ways to provide shelter for snakes is to leave natural coverobjects
— fallen logs, bark, and rocks — in place. You can also leave areas of
uncut vegetation in an orchard or in a perennial border. Using hedges to
divide the property into different areas enhances its appearance and
provides hiding places and travel corridors for snakes and other small
wildlife.
You can also construct special structures for snakes. These can range
from simple rock and brush piles to elaborate rock walls. Dry-stack rock
walls (built without mortar) are particularly suitable, because the crevices and
cracks between rocks provide abundant and varied hiding places for snakes and
lizards. If you decide to start with rock or brush piles, make sure that the piles are
stable and relatively large (about one metre wide at the base). Careful placement of
these structures is also important: locate them adjacent to borders, hedges, or a
compost heap.
2. Provide warm sites
Snakes and lizards derive most of their body heat from the environment and therefore
require suitable warm “sunning” areas. Raising the body temperature helps these
reptiles digest their food and assimilate energy. The availability of warm sites is
particularly important for females when they are producing eggs or young. In contrast
to garter snakes that give birth to live young, the Sharp-tailed Snake
lays eggs.
If you are fortunate enough to have a rocky hillside or a
knoll that receives sun for at least a part of the day, make
sure to protect it and restrict foot-traffic in that area.
Prevent erosion by restricting activities immediately
upslope, as soil and silt can fill the cracks between
rocks. Keeping such slopes free of Scotch Broom and
other invasive plants that will shade them is also
beneficial. Adding rocks of varying sizes to the base of an
exposed hillside is one way to improve habitat for snakes, and
placing new rock walls and rock piles on south-facing slopes or where
they receive sun is another.
In the garden, snakes may take advantage of warm conditions under black plastic
sheets that are used to control weeds on vegetable or flowerbeds. You can provide
warm sites just for snakes by placing sheets of tin or black asphalt roofing in sunny
locations — about 60 x 60 centimetres (2 x 2 feet) sheets work well. These covers are
more durable than plastic sheets and last for many years. If these covers are used,
however, take special care to place them in low-traffic locations to avoid injury to the
animals sheltering underneath.
3. Provide a pesticide-free environment
Chemical pesticides and herbicides can harm wildlife either directly or by
contaminating their food supply. Chemical slug bait containing metaldehyde is
Did you know?
Adding hiding places is
an excellent way to
attract snakes.
South-facing rocky slopes
provide egg-laying and
nursery sites for the Sharptailed
Snake.
Did you know?
hazardous not only to wildlife but also to children and family pets. Whenever
possible, use alternative methods to chemical pesticides to control garden pests
Encouraging snakes to inhabit your garden is a natural way to control slugs. In
particular, the Sharp-tailed Snake and the Northwestern Garter Snake are voracious
feeders on slugs. Depending on the magnitude of your slug problem, you might
need to use a combination of control measures. Effective measures include trapping,
hand-picking, and use of barriers. Frequent cultivation of the soil and using a
drip-irrigation rather than a sprinkler system will also help reduce the slug population
in your garden.
4. Tread gently
You can reduce the accidental death of snakes, lizards, and other small
animals by taking a few simple precautions. When moving rocks or
repairing old rock walls, be aware that these cover objects may have
become home to animals — take special care to avoid accidentally
crushing animals that might be sheltering there. When mowing tall
grass, first walk through or stir the area, so that any concealed snakes
have a chance to move out of harm’s way. Similarly, when using a
weed-eater, first stir the area with a stick to alert snakes to your
presence — they will quickly slither away.
5. Encourage and protect native vegetation and habitats
When creating wildlife habitat, imitate patterns found in nature. Replace straight
lines with irregular patterns and avoid large monocultures of single plants. Large
“tidied up” areas and weed-free gardens provide poor habitat for snakes and other
small wildlife. Sometimes natural patterns may initially look unstructured, but you
will soon grow accustomed to viewing the landscape with snakes and other wild
creatures in mind.
Instead of imported ornamentals, use native shrubs and herbs. In the Gulf
Islands, plants that occur in habitats occupied by the Sharp-tailed Snake include
salal, ocean spray, Nootka rose, and western trumpet honeysuckle. Because native
plants are adapted to local conditions, they usually require less maintenance and
attention than fancy imports. Several local nurseries provide a wide selection of
native plants and can help get you started.
One of the best ways to protect wildlife habitat is to leave some of your property
in its natural state. Even small patches of natural areas can be effective as habitat
both for small animals such as reptiles and for native plants. Conservation covenants
provide a way for landowners to ensure long-term protection of special habitats on
their properties. Many local conservation organizations and land trusts provide
assistance with setting up such stewardship agreements. Tax credits or other
incentives are often available for landowners that engage in stewardship agreements
or donate land for conservation.
6. Enhance access to habitats
Natural landscapes are a mosaic of interconnected habitats, providing a variety of
conditions for wildlife. Reduce the distance between habitat patches for easy access
to animals. Snakes are more likely to use the structures you have provided, such as
rock walls or brush piles, if they are not isolated in the middle of large open areas.
Efforts to maintain and restore wildlife habitat on your property reduce
fragmentation of the landscape and create habitat networks in your area. What you
do on your property, however small, can make a difference.
1. Provide hiding places
Snakes require shelter from their many predators such as hawks and crows that are
quick to make a meal of them. Suitable hiding places may consist of rocks or decaying
logs, brush piles, or patches of dense shrub or herbaceous vegetation.
One of the simplest ways to provide shelter for snakes is to leave natural coverobjects
— fallen logs, bark, and rocks — in place. You can also leave areas of
uncut vegetation in an orchard or in a perennial border. Using hedges to
divide the property into different areas enhances its appearance and
provides hiding places and travel corridors for snakes and other small
wildlife.
You can also construct special structures for snakes. These can range
from simple rock and brush piles to elaborate rock walls. Dry-stack rock
walls (built without mortar) are particularly suitable, because the crevices and
cracks between rocks provide abundant and varied hiding places for snakes and
lizards. If you decide to start with rock or brush piles, make sure that the piles are
stable and relatively large (about one metre wide at the base). Careful placement of
these structures is also important: locate them adjacent to borders, hedges, or a
compost heap.
2. Provide warm sites
Snakes and lizards derive most of their body heat from the environment and therefore
require suitable warm “sunning” areas. Raising the body temperature helps these
reptiles digest their food and assimilate energy. The availability of warm sites is
particularly important for females when they are producing eggs or young. In contrast
to garter snakes that give birth to live young, the Sharp-tailed Snake
lays eggs.
If you are fortunate enough to have a rocky hillside or a
knoll that receives sun for at least a part of the day, make
sure to protect it and restrict foot-traffic in that area.
Prevent erosion by restricting activities immediately
upslope, as soil and silt can fill the cracks between
rocks. Keeping such slopes free of Scotch Broom and
other invasive plants that will shade them is also
beneficial. Adding rocks of varying sizes to the base of an
exposed hillside is one way to improve habitat for snakes, and
placing new rock walls and rock piles on south-facing slopes or where
they receive sun is another.
In the garden, snakes may take advantage of warm conditions under black plastic
sheets that are used to control weeds on vegetable or flowerbeds. You can provide
warm sites just for snakes by placing sheets of tin or black asphalt roofing in sunny
locations — about 60 x 60 centimetres (2 x 2 feet) sheets work well. These covers are
more durable than plastic sheets and last for many years. If these covers are used,
however, take special care to place them in low-traffic locations to avoid injury to the
animals sheltering underneath.
3. Provide a pesticide-free environment
Chemical pesticides and herbicides can harm wildlife either directly or by
contaminating their food supply. Chemical slug bait containing metaldehyde is
Did you know?
Adding hiding places is
an excellent way to
attract snakes.
South-facing rocky slopes
provide egg-laying and
nursery sites for the Sharptailed
Snake.
Did you know?
hazardous not only to wildlife but also to children and family pets. Whenever
possible, use alternative methods to chemical pesticides to control garden pests
Encouraging snakes to inhabit your garden is a natural way to control slugs. In
particular, the Sharp-tailed Snake and the Northwestern Garter Snake are voracious
feeders on slugs. Depending on the magnitude of your slug problem, you might
need to use a combination of control measures. Effective measures include trapping,
hand-picking, and use of barriers. Frequent cultivation of the soil and using a
drip-irrigation rather than a sprinkler system will also help reduce the slug population
in your garden.
4. Tread gently
You can reduce the accidental death of snakes, lizards, and other small
animals by taking a few simple precautions. When moving rocks or
repairing old rock walls, be aware that these cover objects may have
become home to animals — take special care to avoid accidentally
crushing animals that might be sheltering there. When mowing tall
grass, first walk through or stir the area, so that any concealed snakes
have a chance to move out of harm’s way. Similarly, when using a
weed-eater, first stir the area with a stick to alert snakes to your
presence — they will quickly slither away.
5. Encourage and protect native vegetation and habitats
When creating wildlife habitat, imitate patterns found in nature. Replace straight
lines with irregular patterns and avoid large monocultures of single plants. Large
“tidied up” areas and weed-free gardens provide poor habitat for snakes and other
small wildlife. Sometimes natural patterns may initially look unstructured, but you
will soon grow accustomed to viewing the landscape with snakes and other wild
creatures in mind.
Instead of imported ornamentals, use native shrubs and herbs. In the Gulf
Islands, plants that occur in habitats occupied by the Sharp-tailed Snake include
salal, ocean spray, Nootka rose, and western trumpet honeysuckle. Because native
plants are adapted to local conditions, they usually require less maintenance and
attention than fancy imports. Several local nurseries provide a wide selection of
native plants and can help get you started.
One of the best ways to protect wildlife habitat is to leave some of your property
in its natural state. Even small patches of natural areas can be effective as habitat
both for small animals such as reptiles and for native plants. Conservation covenants
provide a way for landowners to ensure long-term protection of special habitats on
their properties. Many local conservation organizations and land trusts provide
assistance with setting up such stewardship agreements. Tax credits or other
incentives are often available for landowners that engage in stewardship agreements
or donate land for conservation.
6. Enhance access to habitats
Natural landscapes are a mosaic of interconnected habitats, providing a variety of
conditions for wildlife. Reduce the distance between habitat patches for easy access
to animals. Snakes are more likely to use the structures you have provided, such as
rock walls or brush piles, if they are not isolated in the middle of large open areas.
Efforts to maintain and restore wildlife habitat on your property reduce
fragmentation of the landscape and create habitat networks in your area. What you
do on your property, however small, can make a difference.
Attracting reptiles into your garden | Suffolk Wildlife Trust
Attracting reptiles into your garden | Suffolk Wildlife Trust: Unless you have a very large garden with plenty of wildlife areas, it is actually quite unlikely that snakes will be resident. It is more probable that any snakes you see (and the many more you don’t) are visiting in the course of their normal movements through wildlife corridors, especially if you live near areas containing heath and rough grassland, or other preferred habitats such as derelict urban areas, allotments, ponds, rivers , wetlands, or muck heaps on farms and stables.
Snakes: Maine IF&W
Snakes: Maine IF&W:
Tips for Attracting Snakes
In addition to the persecution snakes experience routinely at human hands, they have suffered greatly from our activities that alter habitat. Snakes fare poorly when we break up natural lands for urban and suburban development and isolate animals that cannot easily move across inhospitable terrain. To provide safe spaces on your property for snakes:
Figure 7: Drawing Credit - Jenifer Rees
- Protect hibernation sites and other retreat areas such as rock piles and downed woody debris.
- Mow at a slow speed and be ready to step on the clutch or brake. Leave grass un-mowed in places that adjoin a wet area, sunny forest edge, or any other suspected snake habitat. If the grass has to be cut, survey the area and move or "herd" snakes to move to a safe location prior to mowing. Set the mower blades as high as possible, or use a weed-whacker and leave grass six inches or higher.
- Build a fish-free pond. Many snakes feed on tadpoles, adult frogs and invertebrates found in and around ponds. Because fish compete with snakes for amphibians, making the pond fish-free will provide most snakes with the best opportunity for feeding. (See "Additional Resources" for more information about landscaping for wildlife.)
- Build or maintain a rock wall or a rock pile with crevices for snakes to escape from severe weather and predators, to find food and to give birth (Fig. 7 ).
Figure 8: Drawing Credit - Jenifer Rees
A rock wall or pile of rocks provides snakes protection. (Fig. 7)
- Create a "snake board" by laying a sheet of plywood or corrugated sheet metal on the ground in a sunny location, propping it up on three sides with three-inch rocks, lengths of plastic pipe, or similar objects (Fig. 8). In cool areas, paint the top black or cover it with dark asphalt shingles to increase the temperature below the board.
Snakes will seek out the shelter of a "snake board" in areas where a similar type of shelter is lacking. (Fig. 8)
- Place habitat-enhancement features, such as snake boards and rock piles, away from driveways or heavily traveled roads.
- Discourage cats from using your yard. Cats are effective hunters and can severely decrease the snake population.
In addition, you can encourage your friends and neighbors to protect snakes too, especially on property that adjoins yours. More generally, you can support public acquisition of greenbelts, remnant forests, and other wild areas in your community and join a local conservation organization, land trust or habitat enhancement project.
Rock Piles
http://www.wsdot.wa.gov/NR/rdonlyres/9093EB40-A81E-4094-BAA9-C376435A8D06/0/Mit_HabitatStructure.pdf
1. Intent: To mimic accumulations as might occur in rocky areas along streams,
outcrops, and talus fields. The rocks absorb daytime heat and slowly release it
during the cooler night.
2. Target species: The heated rocks provide a relatively stable thermal source and
will attract ectothermic reptiles for nesting and foraging. Rock piles with sufficient
mass may serve as reptile overwintering sites. Small mammals, particularly
rodents, will forage, nest, and receive some protection from predators in rock
piles. Rodents in turn may also serve as a food source for predatory species
such as weasels, mink, snakes, and coyotes.
3. Location: Rock piles should be placed in upland sites with little or no chance of
being inundated by water. If there are slopes in the site it may be beneficial to
bury half the pile into them, particularly south facing slopes.
4. Quantity: It is recommended to have at least five rock piles per acre.
5. Construction: Rocks should be cleaned and sized from two inch diameter to two
man rock (approximately two square feet) with some jagged edges. Jagged
edges are used by molting reptiles and provide secure footing for small
mammals. It is important to maintain a variety of interstitial spaces not exceeding
six inches. The piles should be at least five feet diameter and four feet tall.
Partially bury piles below the ground surface in upland areas. A perch log can be
added to expand habitat opportunities for birds. If large rocks are encountered
on site they may be grouped and partially buried to create burrows
(approximately one square foot or greater) for larger species such as coyotes.
1. Intent: To mimic accumulations as might occur in rocky areas along streams,
outcrops, and talus fields. The rocks absorb daytime heat and slowly release it
during the cooler night.
2. Target species: The heated rocks provide a relatively stable thermal source and
will attract ectothermic reptiles for nesting and foraging. Rock piles with sufficient
mass may serve as reptile overwintering sites. Small mammals, particularly
rodents, will forage, nest, and receive some protection from predators in rock
piles. Rodents in turn may also serve as a food source for predatory species
such as weasels, mink, snakes, and coyotes.
3. Location: Rock piles should be placed in upland sites with little or no chance of
being inundated by water. If there are slopes in the site it may be beneficial to
bury half the pile into them, particularly south facing slopes.
4. Quantity: It is recommended to have at least five rock piles per acre.
5. Construction: Rocks should be cleaned and sized from two inch diameter to two
man rock (approximately two square feet) with some jagged edges. Jagged
edges are used by molting reptiles and provide secure footing for small
mammals. It is important to maintain a variety of interstitial spaces not exceeding
six inches. The piles should be at least five feet diameter and four feet tall.
Partially bury piles below the ground surface in upland areas. A perch log can be
added to expand habitat opportunities for birds. If large rocks are encountered
on site they may be grouped and partially buried to create burrows
(approximately one square foot or greater) for larger species such as coyotes.
Brush Piles Help Wildlife in Your Ecosystem Garden
Brush Piles Help Wildlife in Your Ecosystem Garden:
And the best part is, brush piles are very easy to build, and they keep a lot of yard waste out of landfills:
- Start with the largest branches and logs and loosely stack them log cabin style.
- Do not use pressure treated lumber, creosoted railroad ties, tires, or lead-painted lumber as these materials contain toxic chemicals which leech into the soil and pollute our waterways.
- Rocks and stones can also be used in this base section to provide additional hiding spaces for wildlife.
- Cover the top of this base with smaller branches until you have a tall pile that resembles an igloo.
- The pile will shrink every year as the wood decomposes and you can just keep adding new materials to the top.
- Plant native vines such as Virginia Creeper (Parthenocissus quinquefolia), Trumpet Honeysuckle (Lonicera sempervirens), or American Bittersweet (Celastrus scandens) around the base to provide more shelter and to hide the pile. Do NOT plant Oriental Bittersweet (Celastrus orbiculatus) because it is extremely invasive and difficult to eradicate.
- Border the pile with locally native wildflowers, which provide nectar for native pollinators.
- Or screen the pile with fruiting native shrubs which provide much needed food for wildlife, especially migrating birds.
Building a Frog-Friendly Pond
Building a Frog-Friendly Pond:
Here are some general tips to help you build a frog-friendly pond:
- Easy Access to the Water. A pond with sloped sides is necessary to allow the frogs to easily get in and out of the pond. Using a flexible pond liner to build a frog pond that gradually slopes from shallow to deep is best. A pre-formed plastic liner can be used but you must place rocks or other items in the water in such a was as to make a ramp for the frogs to get in and out. The pond does not have to be overly large, though.
- Skip the Aeration, Filtration and Water Falls. Frogs like quiet, still water.
- No Fish. Fish are natural predators of frogs, especially eggs and tadpoles.
- Add Plants In and Around the Pond. A variety of water plants such as water lilies help to provide cover, shade and a more natural environment. Likewise, provide plants around the pond for shelter and shade (hostas, ferns, wildflowers, etc). In addition, let the grass grow longer around the pond for extra cover. The plants in and around the pond will attract insects and other organisms that frogs feed on. native plants are best -- check with your garden center for advice.
- Don't Keep it Too Clean. Remember most natural ponds are not sparkling clean. Organic matter in the water helps create natural conditions and feeds the natural prey for the frogs. Algae in the pond also nourishes tadpoles.
- Provide Extra Shelter. Place a couple of clay plant pots, on their side and partly buried, to provide extra shelter and shade. Remember frogs like it damp and cool, and also need places to hide from predators.
- Minimize Predators. If you have dogs and cats, try to limit their access to the pond area. You may want to put a wire fence around the pond area to help keep predators away.
- Keep it Chemical Free. Frogs are very sensitive to pollutants and you do not want to use garden chemicals in your yard that might ultimately hurt the frogs.
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