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What killed my garter snakes?
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Posted by sunnyflies (My Page) on Wed, Jul 22, 09 at 17:45
| I found three dead garter snakes in my side yard today, about a yard apart and about six feet from where they usually live in the ivy around my house. Each had been bitten savagely in the center of their bodies and killed. Shaken I think. I enjoy our harmless garter snakes and have never had anything like this happen before. Was it a raccoon? Wouldn't it eat what it killed? These did not appear to have been eaten, just munched and torn thoroughly in the middle. The damage seemed to much for a feral cat to have made. There are no dogs that I know of in our area - we live on a farm. Whatever it was intended to hunt and destroy them. Anyone have any ideas? Or have the same experience? |
Follow-Up Postings:
RE: What killed my garter snakes?
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| Cats do that. A raccoon would eat the snakes. |
RE: What killed my garter snakes?
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| Your description fits a "dog killed" snake. The way a dog attacks a snake: He quickly darts and withdraws as the snake tries to land a strike. The dog continues to test and wear down the snake with repreated fake attempts until he finds a small advantage and then he bites the snake in the middle impsrting a severe injury then quickly withdraws. On the next attack, the dog grabs the snake in the middle and fiercely shakes it snapping the ends of the snake like a shaken rug. A few of the grab and shake attacks spells the end of the snake, its spine broken in several places and the middle of the snake mangled. |
RE: What killed my garter snakes?
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| I agree with all three respondants. Your basic neighborhood cat, dog or racoon will attack a garter snake. see also Types of Snakes |
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