Permaculture bringing in snakes

We’ve lived on our little property in Wyoming for 10 years now. We didn’t do much beyond putting up some fences when we initially moved out. It wasn’t until we started having kids that I started looking at our land with interest. Permaculture practices weren’t really put into place until child #2 came along.

Where I grew up, in the suburbs of Cheyenne, there was an open field behind the house. It was there for flood events and was fenced off. Not that that ever stopped any of the kids in the area from going over or under the fence to play in the mystical world of grass and creek. In this world snakes were plentiful. In fact, we made a bit of a name for ourselves as snake wranglers. You see every year someone would smoke or light fireworks and catch the field on fire. Then all the animals would rush to the side that was in tact and the neighborhood around it. People in the burbs aren’t fond of masses of snakes under their porches and my siblings and I would go round them up and put them back in the field so they weren’t killed. Snakes are kind of my thing.

One thing I noted about our property is the complete lack of snakes. Year and years of wandering, digging, etc and never seeing a single snake. It was disappointing.

That is no longer a thing. Last year we had our first snake experience. Babies. So many babies. All over the grass in our yard. The kids were entranced. Catching and holding them every chance they got.

Now those babies have grown up and we have a lot of big snakes about. So many that we’ve actually caught some in the garage mouse traps.

We spent some time this year saving tadpoles from the evaporating water puddles they are hatched in. Turns out tadpoles are a favorite food and snakes can hold their breath a really long time. So long my husband accused me of making the whole thing up.

Sorry babe, there really was a snake in the pool eating the tadpoles. HA!

We came home from one of our tadpole hunts to find the peahen screaming her brains out. I went over to see what was up and caught this bull snake attempting to eat her eggs. This is actually a small bull snake and he could not get that huge peacock egg in his mouth but you gotta give it to him for trying. I wasn’t sure if he’d go for me so I did put some bite proof clothes on before catching it. It was pretty docile. No problems. We took it away from the peacock and released it in the ground squirrel holes. Go get fat on vermin snake!

Then there was the day we were dumping tadpoles in the pond (as we decided they’d have a better chance in a larger body of water since all the pool tadpoles had been eaten by snakes) only to discover not one but three garter snakes swimming about slurping tadpoles. We removed them from the area but we’ve seen them back there several times since.

I’m pleased to have snakes around. They are a joy for us. The kids love catching and touching them just as I did as a kid. I’m happy we were able to create an environment they can thrive in!