Reptile in the Front Yard (6/1)

One of the fun sightings that I had this year was right in my front yard. Shannon and I live in a rural area of Glastonbury and we often have wild animals pass thru. We see deer all the time and spotted a red fox scampering into the woods a few weeks back. The woods behind the house support all sorts of birds and, in the warm months, bats can often be seen catching insects above the house.

But early this spring I had my favorite sighting so far. I was raking leaves in the front yard when I looked at my feet and was surprised to see a small snake. I'd seen this snake a couple times before in New England so I could identify it as a Ringneck Snake. It was still a little cool so the little guy stayed put while I took a few pictures (1) (2) (3).

It was a real treat to see this snake since the species is nocturnal. Like a lot of NE snakes, the best time to see these guys is in the spring when they are emerging from hibernation.