It can be dangerous as there a lot of chances of snakes coming into the area. Instead of grass we can set up a Greenhouse and attach many bird and squirrel feeders all around.
Iād love more snakes in my yard!
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This is our third garden, havenāt had any snakes here yet (too enclosed in suburbia)
But in Camps Bay we twice had boomslang escaping fires on the mountain above us. Then in Porterville the little slugeater.
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I saw this beauty on a walk in my neighborhood https://www.inaturalist.org/observations/81510506
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As an European citizen Iād like to see a single reptile in my yard, we get 2 frog species and newts happened to have a big population everywhere around, but a lizard or a snake? They require things a yard usually doesnāt have and here the only common snake is viper, not really a species to have around people and animals, but viviparous lizard is cool to have and they live around humans, but not around here it seems (maybe I am wrong, what would be required to attract them though, you canāt put a log and a stone and expect lizards to come to you?).
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In my experience, creating a small pond in my parentās yard made all the differenceā¦that, and establishing native plants almost exclusively. Also provide plenty of choices. A few well-placed rocks and logs for lizards, flowers for pollinators, trees with stout branches for nesting, etc. I find the same species return time and again once these breeding grounds are established. Starting with a good foundation of plants and insects helps you build a small-scale food web right in your yard. Itās all about the basics: food, water, and shelter.
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Up on the mountain we were right place right time. Was awe some!
https://www.inaturalist.org/observations/20996653
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But in Camps Bay we twice had boomslang escaping fires on the mountain above us.
Iām low-key envious. I havenāt had the chance to see boomslangs yet, nor Cape Cobras which Iāve heard also sometimes turn up in gardens close to the mountains.
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They have, very large eyes, and turn their head to track you as you walk.
The second time, my cat warned me. Never heard her utter that Snake SNAKE warning before.
Treated with respect and left in peace by us. Not sure how the snakes fared in our neighbourās gardens. One side had a cobra rescued from their roof - and they went to visit it at the snake park.
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Me as well!
Plant coneflowers. They attract bees, butterflies, and birds. Have a pot of mint and let it flower. Bees love mints and make medicine from them. Have a dwarf conifer winged critters use it as an Air BnB.
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That strikes me as a very strange comment coming from a naturalist.
Snakes are as valuable as insects or mice and have the same rights to live in their habitats as invasive humans.
I also wouldnāt define a greenhouse a good way to rewild oneās yard. Thatās a bit like running a mowing robot at all hours. Also, not everybody can spare that much space in their yard. A few tufts of long grass along the borders goes a much longer way.
Finally, I think you may be mistaken in assuming that snakes converge on tall grasses as though it were a beach party. Snakes tend to steer clear of humans, in fact. When I moved to the place I am living now, it had been uninhabited for four years. The first day we were here, one of my dogs detected a Zamenis longissimus right by the house. That was both the first and last time I saw one here.
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I love ponds, but there is a big BUT. Actually more than one.
- Depending where one lives and what kind of neighbours one has and how close they are, any frogs a pond attracts may get so loud that the neighbours balk. There is quite a history of court cases in Germany where neighbours complained about the decibels produced by frogs in a pond.
- Artificial ponds, just like fish tanks, require care and constant attention. Unless one has a steady exchange of water and a balance of life forms in and around the body of water, it takes little for the habitat to become toxic.
- Any pool/pond should allow insects that end up in the water to get out FAST. Bees for instance are very bad swimmers ā they drown in no time at all, and even in relatively shallow water. An old wooden barrel base with stones and twigs crisscrossing will allow insects to get sufficient grip on the structured surfaces to be able to bend over and reach the water surface without falling in.
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In many parts of the world snakes are not safe for humans to purposefully attract them, some can be ok with it, but I wouldnāt like to have cobras in a yard with children, no matter how calm they (snakes) are.
True, but the OP lives in Pennsylvania. Cobras or any of the array of critters Australians live with are not an issue there.
The danger of neighbours bitching about messy yards or loud frogs is definitely higherā¦
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Cobras are Asian and African species though, but thatās not the point, @karthikeyaeco wrote that comment based on his experience which can be or can be not relevant to USA, OP didnāt specify which location tips were needed for and topics like this rarely stay in specific boundaries.
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We have green anoles in South Carolina, but only recently have I seen them in my own neighborhood. I think all the plants Iāve been adding for the pollinators and to prevent erosion have also been providing habitat for lizards. They like large leaves to bask on. Just like we enjoy patios and balconies so do they.
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grin Methinks you misread my sentence. I never said Cobras are native to Australia. ;-)
I am just saying that snakes are not per se a bad thing! We should all know what we are doing and what effects our actions will entail. If I lived somewhere where crocodiles/alligators and the like are endemic, I likely wouldnāt habitually walk my small dog by a river. The most annoying/dangerous animal in my neck of the woods are horseflies. But even those are limited to certain areas, theyāre not everywhere.
Comment you answered to didnāt state snakes were bad though, only that attracting them can be dangerous, which is true.
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Iāll try! Thank you
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