GARDEN WILDLIFE NEEDS RESPECT.

Byline: JANE GATES Gardening

SANTA CLARITA - Wildlife in your garden is in high gear at this time of year. It's baby season.

Baby birds grow fast so they may look like their parents but their coloring is usually more subdued and their movements are less graceful. Birds like scrub jays can become even more bold than usual in providing for their families, so guard your food if you picnic outdoors.

Gophers are increasing their numbers now, too, so it's a good time to trap them before you become overrun.

This can be a challenge as gophers are territorial and if you remove one family from an area, another family is usually perfectly pleased to move in. If gophers are a serious problem, check with pest control experts.

Since we live in native gopher territory, there are a number of natural controls. Owls and hawks will love a gopher snack whenever found, as will the maligned coyote. The gopher snake, like all indigenous snakes, does an excellent job of reducing the entire rodent population.

Last week a beautiful four-foot gopher snake became tangled in the netting I had over my pond while I was doing repairs. Carefully, I checked the shape of his head and examined his tail for any signs of a rattle.

Satisfied it was not a rattlesnake, I thought I'd just move the netting a bit and see whether it could liberate itself. I thought of gloves. Then I thought, ``Let me just ...''

But ``let me just'' has frequently gotten me into trouble. No exception here. As he made several warning feints toward my hand, I remember thinking in one smooth sentence: ``Hmmm, I wonder if gopher snakes have teeth - oh, yes, gopher snakes do indeed have teeth.''

Fortunately, it was a virtually painless bite and has remained so ever since - far less painful than the tetanus shot I had to get afterward. (I washed the tiny injuries and proceeded to spend the next 1 1/2 hours carefully cutting the snake free - with gloves on.)

Finally freed, it sped off into the brush just as I heard a sound a few feet beyond me. There I discovered another gopher snake having a mouse for lunch, which reminded me of the useful job these snakes do. I considered asking the rescued snake to check out my attic where I've recently heard mice. But the snake was long gone.

The moral of this story is always wear gloves if you handle any wild creature. Even the most innocuous animal can try to defend itself or carry parasites. As for snakes, all will help to keep pests out of our environment.

Rattlesnakes are poisonous and will be having young that are also dangerous to humans and pets. The best way to avoid unwelcome encounters is to make lots of noise in your garden when working. Be aware water will attract them. Oh, and try not to leave plastic netting on the ground like I did - especially in areas where they are likely to come to drink.

Wildlife is part of the great harmony that balances nature and makes life function. We get the opportunity to enjoy so much of it here in the Santa Clarita area. We need to show a little wisdom and respect toward it and let it do its job. Sometimes I should listen to myself - especially about the wisdom part.