I saw this snake close to the house and wanted to know if anyone can id it for me. To me it looks nonpoisonous but not sure.

Garter snake? maybe grass snake.

that's what I thought? it looks like a beneficial, but I don't want it eating my toads and frogs.
thx

This looks a lot like the local Rough Earth Snake. It is harmless and it won't eat your
toads or frogs. But if it did, that's it's job! Actually, they eat earthworms, which are also
beneficial. But you can't eliminate all predators on all of your "beneficial" critters. There is
a natural give and take, and they all are good in your garden. (I'd say "balance" except
that term is rather hackneyed--I think it is more accurate to say that while populations
aim for equilibrium, there are always natural stresses and each population responds to those
stresses. The goal of a good gardener should be to have as many of these beneficial local players
as possible so they're available to do their thing as conditions present themselves.)

The photo below of the snake in question comes from the site Texas Snakes and More
(http://www.texassnakes.net/pictures.html#west) that has lots of images of
Texas snakes. The site also has links to Amazon pages for books about Texas snakes.
Actually, I'm pleased to report that since the last time I went looking for good Texas
snake information online that there seems to be more all of the time. For example, I found
Austin Reptile Service, a site out of Austin, Texas, and this is a page with links to herp
groups in other regions of the state: [url]http://www.austinreptileservice.net/links.html
[/url] It looks like this fellow does educational/interpretive programs with snakes. That's
especially important these days when places like the Fort Worth Zoo decide that the
herps aren't as important as some new glossy Disney-style visitor building and wipe out
the aquarium and the herpetarium to put it up.

My ID from your photo isn't 100%. The scale (length, circumference) in the photo isn't
precise (looks like lettuce and carrot or dill nearby?), but it looks to be very small. I don't
see any kind of pattern on the scales (like on a coachwhip or brown snake), but I'd say
your snake, with it's body and head shape, is non-venomous. And, as a rough guess
(pardon the pun!) I'll reiterate that I think it is a rough earth snake.

The photo below is linked from this page: http://www.texassnakes.net/RoughEarth.htm.

thx NW, I definitely like the little guy! It seems to like to borrow into the ground and has some tunnels around my herb beds. That pic had red sails lettuce and dill. I've only seem it once but the tunnels have been there for about a month. I'm sure the snake it doing it's part leaving nice piles of snake poop somewhere. I do notice a lot more life in my back yard since the organic gardens went in last fall.

I just looked at your location. There is a Virginia variety of this snake also. It is apparently pretty widely distributed.

Good luck with the garden! Get to know your beneficial bugs next and you'll be set!

easy. garter snake. southwest varity. good for rat killing!

No, I don't think that is a garter snake, it has no pattern or lines typical of the type, though it appears to be about the same size. Take a look at this page with North Carolina snakes: http://www.dpughphoto.com/snakes.htm It might help you narrow it down. I also don't think any garter snakes are large enough to catch rats. Perhaps the term "garter snake" has been applied loosely to any number of small garden snakes in your area?

To me it looks like this:
http://www.outdooralabama.com/news/release.cfm?ID=413
The Mimic Glass Lizard

Mainly because of the head shape.

If you think it might be, you should contact
The North Carolina wildlife species & conservation department
http://www.ncwildlife.org/Wildlife_Spec ... /index.htm
919-707-0050

That looks like a very good call! The pattern evident in the press release can be detected
in the first photo.

that is a good match. Thanks helland! I will forward this along to people at nc wildlife and see what happens. I'm tickled that this creature has found a home in my garden. I haven't seen the "lizard" since last year, but I had a friend over and she saw another "snake" but don't know if that's was the same species. I will keep a better watch for them.

Great pic tarheel! What a beautiful creature!
I always feel bad when I move a rock or something in the yard and discover one of these harmless critters. There goes the safe haven! Yet I know there are plenty of other places for it to go. I just hope I give it a long enough chance to flee so as not to run over it with the mower!
Although my mower is set high as it will go (it has 5 or 6 settings), I have unfortunately run over one of these guys. I've seriously been thinking about installing some kind of lift kit for my mower... Maybe I just need some larger wheels....

the legless lizard is still around. I saw the creature again last week. It seems to be in the same nest as last year. I was able to get some good pictures of its tail.

this is what a professor from a local University emailed me back.

" I looked at your photos, and think it may be an eastern glass lizard instead of a mimic glass lizard. Eastern glass lizards have no distinct mid-dorsal stripe down their back (mimics do) and can have a greenish/bluish appearance as adults (mimics are tan/brown). Here is a website with some information on the different types of glass lizards we have in southeastern NC - http://www.herpsofnc.org/herps_of_NC/li ... zards.html "
Thanks! Amanda
Amanda Southwood Williard, Assistant Professor
Dept. of Biology & Marine Biology, UNCW
601 South College Rd., Wilmington, NC 28403
tel (910) 962-4064, fax (910) 962-4066

anyway I believe this case is closed. I'm glad it found my yard instead of a toxic chemical yard! They must be pretty smart! I was lead to www.carolinaherpatlas.org from another Biology professor at Davidson College. This website will let you document sightings of herps so they can be recorded.
thanks Tar
thanks everyone, Tar