Northern Red-bellied snake

Last night my husband and I went for a 3-mile walk that takes us into the countryside. We walked it the day before as well.

We were almost up the hill of doom (what I call it - it seems to go on forever!) and I stopped and squealed (in excitement!) a little. I saw a snake and my first thought was, is it dead? It's was so still. I moved behind it in case it decided to dart away into the grass and told my husband to be on the other side. I first took the picture in case it did dart and I couldn't catch it. But I picked it up from behind, very gently, and it didn't even alter its position! I cupped it and we continued walking. At some point it got squirmy and started to try to get away and it was really tough holding onto something to tiny! But it settled down, coiled up in my one hand, and finished out the walk with us.

I figured it was a red-bellied snake, and confirmed it with my WI DNR snake book when I got home. My kids were really excited! This is the first snake I have spotted in the wild this year and the first (live) red-bellied that we've seen!

Nice colors!

Cool! I grew up in MN, catching gartersnakes, and for years and years and years, the only time I saw _other_ snakes was in books or at the zoo. And then I caught a red-bellied snake, and then I started being able to find them all the time! They sure are cool little snakes. It was like a miracle to me to catch something that was _not_ a gartersnake!

aweee shucks!
hes a cutie pie, I love his belly and cute little face!

amazing find! (..we have tons of snakes where I live, well garter snakes.. BUT I have NEVER once seen a wild snake.. ) maybe I just have poor site, or don't know where to look, but I can't find crap all...

you guys are soo lucky!

The only ones we seem to be able to find are little earth snakes. Cute little guys, but I think it would make Alli's day to even find a garter.

^^^ it would make my day to just see one of those little earth snakes! aha!
or something...

I was despairing that we hadn't seen any snakes this year, but this guy surprised us when I wasn't looking! Every time I look for them, I don't find them!