Heres how to discourage snakes from hanging out in your yard.
They also serve as prey for other predators, such as hawks.
But probably the most important thing to know is that theyrenot at all interested in you.
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Theyre shy animals that would rather hide than come in contact with us.
Theyre also not as dangerous as many people think.
Its okay to be uncomfortable with snakes, says Maerz.
Most of the time, youre probably not even aware of a snakes presence in your garden.
If you see one, it probably didnt just show up.
Its been there all along but theyre very cryptic, says Maerz.
In hot weather, they may be attracted tocool, damp places, such as in basements.
But no matter what stories youve heard, snakes are not aggressive and dont chase people.
Snakes know they cant eat you.
Finally, if theyre completely cornered, they will strike.
Biting is a last-ditch effort.
But any animal will bite if pinned down.
Interestingly, not all snake bites contain venom because snakes have some control.
Venom takes a lot of energy to produce.
That means they generally arent going to waste it on you– something they know they cant digest.
