Common Garter Snake

Description:

Series: I found this small to medium sized Common Garter Snake basking in the morning sun on a grassy rock outcropping overlooking a small lake. As you can see in the first two photos, I did happen to get it sticking its black and red forked tongue out - which was a little tricky. Every time I would kneel down to try and get the right angle (due to the sun light) and then focus in on it, it wouldn't do it! It just stared at me, refusing to give me the shot I wanted! But as soon as I would start to move, it would then stick it back out again. Hmm... so it has something to do with my movement and not its own. See my note section for some interesting "snake tongue facts."

Habitat:

Grassy rock outcropping near small lake.

Notes:

About the snakes forked tongue, according to PetMD, http://www.petmd.com/reptile/pet_lover/e..., "The Smelling Tongue: When a snake's tongue is flicked out into the air, receptors on the tongue pick up minuscule chemical particles, which are perceived as scent. When the tongue is retracted into its sheath, the tips of the tongue fit neatly into the Jacobson's organ, sending the chemical information that has been gathered through the organ and to the brain, where the information is quickly processed and analyzed so that the snake can act promptly on it.; Why are snakes' tongues forked?: t is believed that the snake's tongue is split so that it knows which direction to move based on the preponderance of chemical particles on one side of its forked tongue in relation to a lesser degree of particles on the other side of the tongue. Think of it as akin to having 3-D glasses for the tongue. The chemical levels are slightly different on the right than the left, but together they make a whole story. This information is subtle, and small animals are fast, so it must be processed as speedily as possible for the snake to catch its dinner."