35 miles SE of Pittsburgh, PA. Maybe once per summer, in the grass. Never in my 43 years on a road or sidewalk. One time a 5-foot black snake in my dad’s basement, which I grabbed just below the head and released outside. There are plenty of snakes around, but you have to look for them. They’re sneaky.
In Toronto, I see garter snakes crossing the path when I go to the park maybe two or three times a year.
San Diego, California: rattlers about twice a year, and other kinds of snakes about as often. Not in the city, of course, but not far away from it.
(Inside San Diego city limits, there is a wilderness area; I saw a coyote there today, and have seen rattlers there about once a year. Few weeks ago, I saw a couple deer. There have been Puma sightings, but I’ve never seen 'em.)
Last snake I saw was about a month ago. A crow was using it as a plaything.
We were on a paved walking path when we noticed the bird up ahead poking in the grass on the side of the path. Soon, it picked up a small snake (most likely a garter) and brought it to the center of the pavement and dropped it there. The snake lay coiled up for a few moments while the crow took a few quick jabs at it, not hurting it but acting more like a kid would pretending something might be dangerous. (We don’t have poisonous snakes here and I’m betting the crow, being smarter than the average critter, knew it really didn’t have anything to worry about.)
When the bird stopped for a moment, the snake tried to slither off into the grass. The crow flew over, picked it up again and flew it back to the center of the path. This scenario happened several times before a jogger came along, causing the crow to head for a tree and giving the snake time to make a getaway for good. It was sure a cool thing to witness.
Before that, I hadn’t seen a snake in years.
Portland, OR - I live in the city proper but next to an enormous park on a 1/3 acre lot with landscaping that snakes would love. I’ve lived here twelve years and I don’t think I’ve seen even one.
My parents live outside Orlando, FL, right next to woods/swampy area. I see a racer within three feet of the patio just about every time I go outside. My sister and I cut down a patch of ferns which reduced my snake sighting to about every other time I go outside.
I saw a small snake on the floor in my bedroom last year. I was reading a book, and at first glance, I thought it was a long piece of cloth or something, but was curious and tried to move it out of my room through the door with a stick. When it quickly dodged the stick and slithered under my dresser, I knew it was in fact a snake.
Suburbs of Tampa, FL. Weekly sightings of black snakes, garters. Frequent pygmy rattlers and one memorable shriek from the Mrs. who was changing from her bathing suit in the laundry room off the garage. 7 foot yellow rat snake (corn snake). Still miss that house!
Just north of Baltimore, out in the woods.
I guess 2-3 times a year. Occasionally I get one in our basement, but they’re always the tiny, harmless little grass snakes.
I used to hike and bike in Los Penasquitos Preserve–in the warmer months it was a rare week when I didn’t see a snake slithering across the main trail.
Color emphasis mine
I had to laugh. Like the snake knows its inappropriate.
We have rattlers all over the place here. I have special fencing to protect my dogs
Well rural areas don’t have sidewalks but I occasionally see black snakes on roads early or late in the day. They like the warmth of the pavement.
Around the house it’s rare that I see them, but they are probably always around. I’ve had a couple inside the house, my ex-wife sat on a snake one time, it was under a throw-pillow on the couch!
They generally like to be in places where they can find mice and other meals.
I grew up in rural Illinois (our residential cul-de-sac was bordered by a forest preserve, a state park, and a cornfield).
I’d usually spot a couple garter snakes a year. Once one was in my bedroom when I woke up in the morning.
Only saw non-garters maybe twice; once was a light-colored little snake in our yard and the other looked like a young rattlesnake in the park (probably wasn’t a rattler because I don’t think they live around there, it was marked unlike a garter and coiled and shaking its tail).
I live in East Tennessee within shouting distance of the Great Smokies. We see snakes here on a daily basis from late February through November. Lots of snakes. Big ones too. If you’re afraid of snakes, avoid the area at all costs.