You mean like this one I found hidden a couple of years ago under a tarp I used to cover my garden soil pile? Made me jump but as you can see I still managed to run and get the camera. I think this is what they call a northeastern Milk Snake. I hate snakes as much as mice.

And if the previous pic doesn't give you the willies, how about when this one crawled out.

Scary.. I am careful!! Ellie

None of the maine species snakes are poisionous, I will catch a ribbon or a garter snake from time to time and show them off to the kids. When I was a kid in northern maine, we used to have the green snake, they are pretty neat looking.

We just have little garter snakes here. They don't bother me. Also have a couple crawdads living in the yard, don't know why, we're not THAT close to a ditch or water source.

They eat mice which carry lyme and other horrid tick-borne diseases, so they are a very good thing to have around. Snakes and foxes.

Snakes give me a start but they are part of the garden as are frogs, toads, lizards, hummingbirds, butterflies etc. Animals make a garden interesting. If you have a fear of snakes consider this King snake your friend. You may have King snakes in your area with a different pattern. Don't kill them. They will eat copperheads.

We are always careful to leave the good snakes alone. We have seen a number of the king or rat snakes around here, and we are glad to have those, just respect their space. There are supposed to be rattle snakes here, we have never seen any of those, and don't want to. Avedon

I like snakes, they keep the rodent population under control. I am careful and don't reach under foliage without first looking. All of my neighbors say they kill all kinds of poisonous snakes in their yards, while in my yard with all the gardens for wild life, I have never seen a poisonous snake. Strange?
Ed

Thank your lucky stars not bitten. I sure would have killed that snake. At least I would if I was brave enough to get near it.