HARMLESS SNAKES 
TREE SNAKES 
As tree snakes weave in and out of the boughs, they resemble beautifully 
colored vines or twigs. Swaying their heads and bronze, golden-green necks 
from side to side, they seem to undulate gently with the breeze. 
The adult tree snake may be from two to five feet in length. Its head 
is distinct, and it has large bright eyes. 
Feeding on lizards and tree frogs, the tree snake will dart away into 
the underbrush if disturbed. Cornered, it turns and attempts to bluff the 
pursuer with menacing gestures. Jaws wide agape and head weaving from 
side to side, these delicate serpents vainly strive to appear sinister. 
As a rule the lustrous body of the tree snake is not distinctly marked. 
Most species, however, have a black line extending from the eye to the 
corner of the mouth. 
GARTER SNAKES 
Garter snakes are probably the last of the snakes of the eastern United 
States to go into hibernation and the first to emerge. In March, when the 
snow has not yet completely melted, they can be seen basking in the sun¬ 
light. Specimens have been found at altitudes exceeding five thousand 
feet. 
Hardy and stubbornly resisting extinction, the garter snake is one of 
the commonest snakes east of the Mississippi, often found in parks and 
gardens within the confines of large cities. 
Usually in August the female garter snake gives birth to her litter, 
which numbers from seventeen to about thirty. As soon as they are born, 
they make their own way in the world, feeding upon small earthworms 
until the hibernation period. In spring, when the ground is moist and 
their diet abundant, they grow rapidly until they are able to partake of 
larger morsels like young toads and frogs. The young garter snake is 
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