Name: Emma J Williamson
Status: Other
Age: N/A
Location: N/A
Country: N/A
Date: N/A
Question:
What purpose do garter snakes serve in the ecological system?
Is there an
environmentally safe way to prohibit them from "wandering" into yards and
gardens?
Replies:
The ecological "purpose" of any animal is probably best expressed as the
question "what does it eat and what eats it?" Since garter snakes eat
insects, you might actually welcome them in your garden. As an
environmentally friendly form of pest control - they do not compete with us
for food and therefore are not a pest in the economic sense. If you just do
not like them you might consider erecting some kind of solid barrier to keep
them out, or call your local animal control officer for advice.
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