On Fri, 12 Jun 2015 07:41:00 -0400, "dadiOH"
wrote:

Muggles" " xyz wrote:
We've recently cleaned up our back yard and spread some pea gravel
where no grass will grow. It was always muddy when it would rain, so
we gave
up and just weeded the sparse grass down that did come up along with
any weeds. The pea gravel looks nice in the path, but today we found
a good size garter snake right in the middle of the gravel sunning
itself.
I've read they like to do that sort of thing, but now I'm not so sure
if it's such a good thing, although we let it go in the back part of
the yard.

I'm wondering if the warm pea gravel attracted the slithering
creature. I've read conflicting information on whether or not they're
venomous.
Has anyone had problems with such snakes causing problems, or are they
ok and mind their own business.

Garter snakes are not venomous. In the US, there are four types of venomous
snakes...

1. rattle snake (numerous species)

2. copperhead

3. cotton mouth moccasin

4. coral snake

The first three are all pit vipers. Pit vipers have triangular shaped
heads; the iris of their eyes is a vertical slit (like cats) rather than
round. They are all easily identified by he triangular head. In addition...

Rattle snakes have the rattle

Cotton mouths have a white mouth interior; mature ones are almost black
and are chunky.

Copperheads have alternating, irregular bands of brown/reddish brown and
tan/cream. Unfortunately, so do some non-venomous snakes.

Coral snakes have alternating bands of red, yellow and black; so do some
very beneficial king snakes.You can distinguish them because the red and
yellow bands of the coral snake touch; they do not in the king snake.
Additionally, coral snakes have a black snout, kings do not.

All snakes, even the venomous ones, are beneficial. Leave them be.

Be aware that any breed of snake will rattle it
tail when upset. Oh, BTW, pygmy rattlesnakes are
near the same size as a garter snake, but near
invisible on a brown dirt or old leaf background.
The pygmy rattlesnake does not have real rattles
but does have sharp teeth.