The musk itself is made of chemicals that the snake produces. According to the Journal of Chemical Ecology , the compounds that make up snake musk are much the same across different families of snake.
So, the musk that a garter snake uses, for example, is broadly similar to the musk that a boa constrictor uses. Snake musk released on its own is usually a white or off-white color.
All snakes musk, but which ones are notorious for it, and which will only musk occasionally? People report that it smells worse than, but similar to, their urates. Garter snakes musk more frequently than other snakes. Their musk has an unpleasant but sweet odor. This is a behavior that they developed over thousands of years, imitating the far-more-dangerous rattlesnake. They release their musk in combination with their death display.
This foul-smelling combination makes them less appealing to potential predators for obvious reasons. Young milk snakes musk more frequently than most snakes. Pueblans, especially, are notorious for musking even once they grow up. Female snakes can musk, just as males can.
The glands themselves are located inside the cloaca, specifically in the proctodeum. The two worst snake species are ringneck snakes and water snakes. Ringneck snakes are unusually small, which would explain why they rely on their musk to scare predators away. Water snakes are scary enough as it is—people confuse them with water moccasins, which are a different snake—but there seems to be something about their diet of fish which makes their musk worse than most.
A mention has to go to the long-nosed snake. If you do threaten one, it has a unique method of musking. When they musk, they use a uniquely foul combination of musk, feces, urates, and blood. It works, as the predator threatening them will probably leave them to it. The worst thing is that the smell is difficult to get rid of.
Snakes make their musk challenging to remove on purpose, to confuse and frighten predators that might want to attack them again. Fortunately, there are a few ways that you can get rid of it. The first thing you should try is to wash the area repeatedly. This is sometimes enough to get rid of the smell. The saliva of some species contains a mild neurotoxin that causes paralysis, making small prey easier to swallow. Like other snakes, garter snakes swallow their food whole, according to the ADW.
While most species are classified as harmless non-venomous , their bite can cause minor swelling or itching in humans, and anyone bitten by a garter snake should clean the bite thoroughly. It is not ultimately a cause for concern. Allergic reactions to the saliva have been known, but cases are extremely rare, according to the ADW. Female garter snakes give off pheromones to attract males. Dozens of males will come to one female, which is why homeowners sometimes think garter snakes are overrunning their neighborhoods.
Some males use trickery to confuse their competition, according to Reed College. They will secrete female pheromones to lure other males toward them rather than to the female. After the other males are away from the mating ball, the males posing as females will dart back to the female to attempt to mate.
Garter snakes are ovoviviparous, meaning they bear live young. After mating, females store sperm in their bodies until they want to fertilize their eggs.
Garter snakes give birth to 20 to 40 live young at a time, though Beane pointed out that litter sizes can vary greatly. Parent snakes do not care for their young. There are 30 species of garter snakes and many more subspecies, according to the Integrated Taxonomic Information System. The taxonomy of garter snakes is:. Thamnophis sirtalis common garter snake : The common garter snake has the largest range, occurring in most of the continental United States with several subspecies, according to Beane.
They are found everywhere from Alaska to Florida, though they do not live in the Southwest. Common garter snakes usually have three white, yellow, blue, or green stripes running the lengths of their brown or olive bodies. Their heads are darker than their bodies. Many garter snakes will also release a foul-smelling musk just before lashing out at their victim.
So, are garter snakes poisonous? With the exception of a few species, which are capable of causing anaphylaxis in certain individuals that are bitten due to their mild venom but are still not considered dangerous to humans. And though the presence of these pests may be unsightly for some homeowners, garter snakes can provide a great benefit to the health of your lawn and garden.
This may be why some people call them garden snakes. Garter snakes will feed on annoying garden pests, like snails, leeches, slugs, and grasshoppers. They may even eat larger pests like mice, frogs, and salamanders, though some of these pests can serve their own beneficial purpose in a garden.
Though garter snakes are not poisonous, people are still at risk of receiving bites from venomous snakes like rattlesnakes, copperheads, and cottonmouths. If you ever receive a bite from a snake, symptoms like nausea, vomiting, and labored breathing may be signs that you were bitten by a venomous snake according to the CDC.
They recommend seeking medical attention immediately. Some homes are more susceptible to hosting snakes than others, especially those located near grassy fields or heavily wooded areas. The most obvious way to know if your lawn is hosting garter snakes is if you spot one slithering around your yard. You might not see them. You might not hear them. But there may be an entire population of pests living in your home's crawl space. Pests you may find in your crawl space range from furry mammals like chipmunks, rats and mice, to destructive insects and bugs like termites.
Seeing more birds than business lately? If you're noticing an influx of flocks, you're likely in an area where birds are migrating to nest or wait out colder weather elsewhere.
It's not the business or tourism increase you'd hoped for, and there are three bird pest species in particular you need to watch out for. Your home may be your castle, but it can also be a welcome shelter for insects, rodents and other kinds of pests.
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