Water snakes mating, Mendon, MA, and second image, Oliver Mill Park, Middleboro, MA

Our native snakes occupy a wide range of habitats, including: fields, forests, wetlands, ponds, lakes, streams, rocky hillsides, farmland, vacant lots and residential neighborhoods. Within those habitats, snakes may travel along the ground, swim, climb trees and bushes, and venture below ground. Although some snakes do burrow, most “snake holes” are produced by chipmunks, mice, shrews and other small mammals. Many snakes utilize these burrows for food, shelter and egg laying sites, but most species don’t dig holes.