Snakes in Denver suburbs? (Aurora, Golden: credit, neighborhood, living in)

[emersonheights]

I am moving from Minnesota to the Denver Area this year. I was curious if there are snakes in the Denver Metro area? I live in the Minneapoilis suburbs and we will sometimes see a garter snake or two but its rare. Just wonder if you find them in you yards there or not?

[the3Ds]

Originally Posted by emersonheights

I am moving from Minnesota to the Denver Area this year. I was curious if there are snakes in the Denver Metro area? I live in the Minneapoilis suburbs and we will sometimes see a garter snake or two but its rare. Just wonder if you find them in you yards there or not?

We have a few snakes in our yard (one is a permanent resident who lives under one of the shrubs and scares the crap out of me every time I am out doing yardwork). I'm not a snake expert but there's a teenage boy in our neighborhood who has a few for pets and saw our snake and said it was a bull snake. They're not poisonous but we did have one that found its way in our yard and coiled up and hissed at us when we got into our car. It was quite fiesty but again, not poisonous. In the late summer, we see a lot of the same type of snakes (bull) on sidewalks, in the street, in yards. We also live near a greenbelt so the snakes are attracted to the area for the small animals they can hunt.

[zenkonami]

When I was a kid living in Aurora I remember a few really small garden snakes. My dad pointed them out to me and said they weren't dangerous but that it was better not to mess with them anyway. Don't recall what kind they were, but possibly bull snakes like the3Ds'...they would certainly put on a good little show if they felt intimidated. Never really had a problem with them, though.

[nele]

Originally Posted by emersonheights

I am moving from Minnesota to the Denver Area this year. I was curious if there are snakes in the Denver Metro area? I live in the Minneapoilis suburbs and we will sometimes see a garter snake or two but its rare. Just wonder if you find them in you yards there or not?

Way fewer snakes here than back east, probably about the same quantity as you find in Minnnesota. They're cool animals. I'm jealous of the person who's got the resident bullsnake in his yard - that's a beautiful snake. Actually resembles a rattler somewhat, so people often kill them, which is not what you want to do. In fact they often eat juvenile rattlers.

Remember, where you have snakes you're going to have fewer mice, voles, and rats. Snakes are shy animals for the most part, respect them and you won't have any problems.

[the3Ds]

Originally Posted by nele

Way fewer snakes here than back east, probably about the same quantity as you find in Minnnesota. They're cool animals. I'm jealous of the person who's got the resident bullsnake in his yard - that's a beautiful snake. Actually resembles a rattler somewhat, so people often kill them, which is not what you want to do. In fact they often eat juvenile rattlers.

Remember, where you have snakes you're going to have fewer mice, voles, and rats. Snakes are shy animals for the most part, respect them and you won't have any problems.

Yep, our resident snake is a big one...she coils up on the rocks in the summer and apparently doesn't mind our dog (who I don't think gets too worked up over having to share her space). I appreciate that unlike our neighbors who have found a few mice in their garage, we've never had any problem. I give the bull snake credit for that one. You're right though...it does look a bit like a rattler.

[denverian]

Originally Posted by the3Ds

Yep, our resident snake is a big one...she coils up on the rocks in the summer and apparently doesn't mind our dog (who I don't think gets too worked up over having to share her space). I appreciate that unlike our neighbors who have found a few mice in their garage, we've never had any problem. I give the bull snake credit for that one. You're right though...it does look a bit like a rattler.

I'd freak out if I saw a big snake like that! I mean, pack up and move to a high rise no where near nature type of freak out! I don't know what it is about snakes, but even a little garter snake scares me, let alone something that looked like a rattle snake. I've never seen a snake here, lucky for me.

[robjfoley]

Yes, there are snakes in Denver's suburbs. My wife and I have routinely seen (dead & alive) bull snakes and rattlers. In fact, I almost ran over a large bull snake on my bike while riding one of the many paved trails here (this one was in Cherry Creek State Park). I have seen snakes on random roads and in parking lots as well, but none the closer I get into the city.

[Davros]

I've never seen a rattlesnake in Denver, but I have seen a handfull of Bull Snakes and Garter snakes, both of which are harmless. I did see two rattlesnakes on the same day at Roxborough State Park south of Denver, but I've never actually seen one within the city or suburbs.

[Count David]

I saw a huge snake (don't know what kind) on the tarmac at Centennial Airport.

Caught me off-guard to say the least.

[jazzlover]

There are the usual garter and bull snakes most everywhere in the Front Range metro areas. In the foothill areas, especially, rattlesnakes are fairly common. Years back, when I lived on a ranch in the foothills just west of Golden, we would see rattlesnakes on almost a daily basis in summer. I knew people who worked the night shift at the Martin Marietta plant just southwest of Denver. They had to be real careful going to their cars in the parking lot after their shift because the rattlers liked to curl up on the warm pavement during the night.