n our own backyard and neighborhood in north Durham, I am always delighted to find snakes curled up next to a rock, basking in the sun, or making their way to winter hibernacula in autumn. October and November are usually the last months in which we see snakes in the North Carolina Piedmont, but the variety of species seen this time of year can be more impressive than even those seen in mid-summer.
Unfortunately, since so many snakes are on the move to their winter hibernacula this time of year, many are run over—either while basking on roads or simply trying to cross. Despite their declining numbers, many people are reluctant to let snakes live in their yards or neighborhood. But by killing snakes we are destroying a valuable part of North Carolina’s ecological heritage—one that also serves as a natural predator of common rodent and insect pests.
Below are a few snakes I’ve seen in the backyard this autumn, including a northern brown snake (Storeria dekayi dekayi) and a rough earth snake (Virginia striatula). One notable sighting, not pictured, was a mid-sized copperhead (Agkistrodon contortrix).
And here are a few more somber “dead-on-road” (DOR) sightings from my small neighborhood: a mole kingsnake (Lampropeltis calligaster) and a rough earth snake (Virginia striatula).
Sense of Place 