A snake sliding through the garden can turn a peaceful morning of watering tomatoes into a full-blown wildlife documentary. But that snake probably did not wander into the yard with plans to terrorize the gardener. In many cases, it arrived because the garden offers exactly what a snake needs: food, shelter, water, warmth, or a convenient place to hunt.
That can actually be good news for the garden. Many snakes eat rodents, slugs, insects, amphibians, or other animals that gardeners would rather keep from nibbling on their plants. The important part comes down to knowing what kind of snake showed up, avoiding unnecessary contact, and figuring out why the garden looked like an appealing stop.
