Critters gotta to eat, too

 Now that February is finally drawing to a close, we've been getting the occasional warm-ish day, causing the frozen ground to soften up a bit. I was out in the yard the other day and I noticed numerous little piles of mud erupted out of the grass. These piles of mud are joined by long ridges of disrupted soil, soft and mushy underfoot. Are you curious yet? This is the handiwork of moles. I suppose most homeowners would get upset over this defacement of their grass, but it really doesn't bother me that they're out there busily tunneling across our yard. Moles are not rodents and they don't hibernate. They're active during winter and they are insectivores - they eat insects, worms, centipedes, and the like. They're actually helping us by eating various pest insect grubs that are tucked underground, among which are Japanese Beetle larvae. Thank you, moles!
 It pains me to see the various poisons in garden centers that are used to kill not only insect pests, but moles too. I prefer to let nature operate undisturbed as much as possible, plus I think moles are interesting little critters.
 One species of mole we have around here is the star-nosed mole. Talk about bizarre - this thing is simply crazy looking! Moles are odd looking to begin with, but the star-nosed really kicks it up a notch. It looks like someone gave it one of those cartoon exploding cigars. Here is a good article about them, with photos. While I have seen star-nosed moles out there now & then, the molehills were more likely the work of the eastern mole, the kind that comes to mind when you think "mole". But anyway, why would you want to kill any mole? They're fascinating ( as all creatures are to me ) and they're just doing their job out there.

I extend this same philosophy to spiders and snakes - they're just doing their job. They gotta eat, too. I personally have a strong aversion to spiders. Okay, well, they freak me out. All right, I admit it - they make me scream and jump around as if I grabbed an electric fence... But that's only when I suddenly see one. Once I know where a spider has set up housekeeping, I leave it alone to make a living - giving it a wide berth, mind you. ( This only applies to outdoor spiders. If they're in the house, I'm sorry to say they are, er, disposed of. )
I think spiders and snakes are just as fascinating as any other critter. Last year I was trimming back a clump of irises when I was startled ( okay - I screamed. And jumped around. ) by a large wolf spider in between the sheltering leaves. After I recovered my nerve, I noticed it was sitting on its egg case. Believe it or not, I got my camera & documented it. I liked how it was guarding the egg case. So I worked around it and left those few leaves standing there, which served the double purpose of saving the spider and avoiding putting my hands anywhere near it. Eventually, it moved on. But there's more of 'em out there - LOTS more - doing their jobs and eating insects.

                                                         
                                                       Arachnid mother love


As to snakes, we leave them alone too. I'm not freaked out by snakes like I am by spiders. I used to catch them when I was a kid. We never kill snakes. ( I hope you don't either! ) They're another helpful creature to have around the yard & gardens, since they eat all manner of things, many of which are garden pests. We commonly see garter snakes and black rat snakes here. We see garter snakes quite often around our yard. I frequently come across one as I'm weeding the landscaped areas. We see them all the time in the vegetable garden, which is great since insects are a large part of their diet. It's nice to know that they're out there patrolling for pests and helping us.

 

                                          Garter snake - a helpful garden ally


 We don't see black rat snakes as often - maybe two or three times a summer - often enough to know they're out there. These snakes are quite large, often 6 feet long. They eat a lot of mice and chipmunks. Unfortunately, they also eat birds. But that's part of nature - snakes gotta eat, too. You might recall my first blog post about bluebirds - we install snake-proof guards under the bluebird boxes. Yeah, snakes gotta eat, but we put the bird boxes there so we have to be responsible about it!
 One summer Mr. Curious & I were doing yard work when suddenly there was a shrill racket and commotion in one the rhododendron bushes. Robins were screeching and fluttering around the bush. I guess you know where I'm going with this... The robins had a nest with young in there and a rat snake had found it. By the time we got close enough to see it, the snake was coiled around the nest - and the young robins. It sat there looking like a nightmarish fist clenching the birds. Beaks protruded from the coils at different angles. Rat snakes are powerful constrictors. We let nature take its course. At first it was horrifying. I hate to see any animal die. But it's life, too. So we crouched there and watched. Then I ran for my camera. It was actually an awe-inspiring spectacle. And it's astonishing how a small snake mouth can unhinge and consume a nearly grown robin! The snake ate 3 birds. Below is a picture of it with its body stretched out of proportion, stuffed with young robins.

                                                           I need a nap now

It's also cool how a creature with no appendages can expertly climb trees and shrubs. I have to say that this was one of the most amazing things I've ever witnessed in nature. Hard to watch, but amazing. Shocking, perhaps, to some of you. But nature needs predators to keep things in check. If not for moles, spiders, and snakes ( not to mention bats and countless other creatures ) we would be completely overrun with bugs, mice, and what have you. It would be impossible to grow anything, diseases would spread - it would be a disaster of epic proportion. Usually when you think of predators, you think of the big mammals like tigers & wolves. But you don't need to watch a documentary to see predators in action - just think smaller and you'll see all the action you ever wanted to see. Thousands of little life & death dramas play out every day in our yards & gardens. That's how it is, and how it should be. Critters gotta eat. And their quest for food can provide the curious and observant person with some incredible experiences! I'm quite happy to live here, thank you very much, with a lumpy lawn, spiderwebs festooning the gardens, and snakes hanging from the shrubs. So, who's ready to come over for a cookout this summer? Ha!