Meet Our Resident Banded Water Snake!

Every snake plays a necessary role in the functioning of our varied and delicate Florida ecosystems. Although much maligned and feared, most snakes you come across are non-venomous and none of them are threatening or aggressive unless they feel threatened by you.

Yesterday, Brian picked up one of our resident Banded Water snakes to give customers an up close look at this NON-VENOMOUS, beneficial snake. We like having these fellows around, they are never aggressive and always flee if you get too close. They also play a vital role in our ecosystem and they definitely help keep the rodents in check! 

Sadly, they are often killed by folks who mistake them for the VENOMOUS Water Moccasin (also known as Cottonmouth). The non-venomous Banded Water snake has very similar coloration, as it is in fact mimicking the Moccasin's appearance to scare off potential predators.

You can differentiate between the two snakes by looking at the shape of their head and eye structure. The venomous Water Moccasin / Cottonmouth has a sharply angular, triangle shaped head and eyes with slit pupils - like a cat's eye. I have included two photos of the venomous Water Moccasin/Cottonmouth for comparison. And to reiterate, though the Water Moccasins are venomous they, and other venomous snakes play an important role in our Florida ecology and are not aggressive unless they feel threatened. Leave them in peace and give them space and they will do the same.

ABOVE: Non-Venomous Banded Water Snake - notice the eyes and rounded head along with the black bands around the mouth.

BELOW: The venomous Water Moccasin/Cottonmouth has a sharply angular, triangle shaped head and eyes with slit pupils - like a cat's eye.

Creating Wildlife Habitat in Your Yard

One thing is certain in the life of a gardener – a garden or a yard will change over the years. Plants grow, some die, new plants sprout from seeds that land in exposed soil……..The same successional process happens in forests and other natural systems.

In my yard, my husband and I work with these natural progressions to create habitat for wildlife. When we moved into our house 25 years ago, the lot was graced with lovely tall pines and huge live oaks but all of the other plants were non-native, mostly hailing from China and Japan – . Some were invasive like coral ardisia and nandina and have been removed. Others are beautiful and functional in the landscape; for instance, the sasanqua camellia hedge that gives us privacy along one border of the property.

The most important thing we can do for wildlife in our yards is to plant native plants, which have co-evolved over the eons with native insects. The insects then provide abundant food for birds and spiders and on up through the food chain. So, when the huge pine that dominated our front yard had to be removed due to a lightening strike, we planted three new native species along the border where it was growing – longleaf pine, granny greybeard and red cedar.

Meanwhile, nature was taking its course in the same sunny area that had been shaded by the big pine. Pokeweeds and wild ageratum seeded in on their own, along with Mexican sunflower, a non-native with bright orange flowers that we planted in the butterfly garden. Certainly the judicious use of non-native, long-blooming tropical plants such as Mexican sunflower and pentas will extend the season of flowers in butterfly gardens. Just be sure that they are not invasive.

Over the years, as we removed nandinas in our borders, we replaced them with native species, such as American beautyberry, needle palm, Florida anise, agarista and wild azaleas. An opportunity for planting opened this fall, when our neighbor’s very large eight foot diameter live oak collapsed and had to be removed, changing our side yard from shady to mostly sunny. We plan to plant holly and wax myrtle.

In addition to planting native plants, it is good to have areas of leaf litter where birds can scratch around to find insects and other invertebrates. Rake the leaves from the lawn and spread in garden beds. These will compost over time, enriching the soil.

If possible, let dead trees stand; woodpeckers will thank you! Twenty years ago, we had the top of a dead pine removed in our back yard, leaving a 20 foot trunk standing. The snag rotted over time, its last remains still evident on the forest floor. I’ll always remember our two small children sneaking up to watch a Pileated Woodpecker working the lower part of the snag for insects. We replaced this pine with a spruce pine and an American beech.

There are many things you can do to garden for wildlife. Start by increasing the diversity of native plants in your yard, by planting trees and shrubs of different heights, by decreasing the size of your lawn, by providing a bird bath and by maintaining areas of leaf litter (mulch). Avoid using harmful pesticides. Most of all enjoy the fruits of your labor and take time to watch bumble bees, birds, lizards and other wildlife that utilize your yard.

Favorite Hummingbird Plants

Ruby-throated hummingbird sipping nectar from dwarf firebush flower. Photo by Glenda Simmons.

Late summer is the peak of hummingbird activity in north Florida. Young birds of the year are off the nest and on their own. Adults and youngsters from as far north as Canada are streaming through on their southerly migration.

 Many of us see a hummingbird in our yard daily and we think of it as “our” resident friend. This is probably far from fact. Fred Dietrich, Tallahassee resident and licensed bird bander for the Hummingbird Study Group, decided to study hummingbirds in his yard during the summer of 2010. He banded 72 hummingbirds through September 25. Only two of these were recaptures. This means he had a different hummingbird every two or three days!

By the end of June the southward migration of mature males is already in full swing. Mature females and young of the season may stay into the fall or are passing through north Florida from farther north as late as mid October.

Feeders are an easy way to attract hummingbirds, but plants add interest and beauty to your yard. Of the many hummingbird plants to choose from, I have four favorites. They vary in size and sunlight requirements. Two are Florida natives.

Firebush becomes a large shrub each year, up to six feet in height and width. A south Florida native, it is covered with slender, inch long orange flowers June through October. Plant firebush in sun to light-shade and give it room to grow. Butterflies, particularly zebra longwings, also use these flowers.

Pentas is much smaller at around three feet tall by two feet wide. Colors range from white to several shades of pink to red. It blooms June until frost. Pentas, though a perennial in south Florida, does not always survive our colder winters. Protect the roots with an extra six inches of pine straw or leaf mulch over winter. Pentas likes lots of sun, but will still bloom in considerable shade. It is a favorite of butterflies as well.

For shady locations, two terrific perennials are Indian pink and cardinal guard. Indian pink is a north Florida native wildflower and grows to just two feet tall by two feet wide. It blooms every April and May with erect, red trumpets topped by a bright yellow star – a lovely addition to a woodland garden.

The other shade perennial is cardinal guard, sometimes called firespike. It has beautiful lush foliage and reaches four to six feet tall with an overall vertical form. It blooms in late summer to fall, the prime time for migrating hummingbirds. The tips of the multitude of stems sport bright red “salvia like” flower spikes. I like to plant cardinal guard near a window to watch the hummingbird activity up close.

All four of these plants die back to the ground after the first frost. At that time, you may prune off the dead stalks and compost them. An insulating layer of pine straw or leaves keeps the roots a little warmer for the pentas and firebush. Be sure to pull back the mulch in early spring so sunlight can warm the soil.

These four are my favorites but certainly aren’t your only choices for hummingbirds. Perennial blue salvias, several of the Cupheas, porterweed, the old standby shrimp plant and many others will attract hungry hummingbirds. Give your migrating hummers a dependable stopover feeding station by planting some of these beautiful plants.