Garter Snakes are the ONLY snakes found naturally around Watertown, SD; so I'm going to concentrate on them. On the Western side of the state, you can find some prairie rattlers, and an occassional timber rattler. We have run across a bull snake a time or two, but we always guessed it to have come in on a load of hay.
Garter snakes are non-poisonous, and almost totally harmless. They can give you a painfull bite when you try to handle them without gloves, and you're not careful. They have 3 light colored stripes that run down the length of the snake's body. These stripes will be yellow, green, and occassionally red or orange. They grow to a length of 20 to 30 inches, with the females usually being slightly larger than the males. Unlike most snakes that lay eggs, the garter snake bears its' young live. The average litter will be about 18, but records have shown a litter of 80. They like to live in people's yards, gardens and city parks and grassy areas. They will eat frogs, salamanders, small fish, and earthworms. They are a nuisance to many, but are actually very beneficial to have around.
Their home will usually be a hole in the ground. The best and easiest removal methods is simply picking them up with a pair of leather work gloves, and putting them in a coffee can with a lid, or an old pillow case works well, too. Make sure it is free of small holes, and simply twist the neck shut to contain the snake in the pillow case. They can be released into a road ditch outside of town. They are NOT aggressive, and will NOT go after people or pets.
If you come across a snake you think is anything BUT a garter snake, please call for assistance. Many people purchase exotic breeds of non-domestic snakes to keep for pets, and someone may be missing one. Some of these CAN be dangerous, and many times authorities may know of someone in the area that keeps these snakes for pets, or may know of someone that is missing theirs. There ARE livetraps and chemical deterents available for snakes, but I haven't found anything that is very effective OR worth the expense.
