backyard habitat

I have a question for the field herpers out there. Has anyone done work on how to make good backyard habitats for herps. For example a small public garden in Philadelphia had little brown snakes. I have a wooded backyard with little traffic and would like to make it a herp friendly as possible.

Making a garden herp friendly means you need to make these available:
- Water
- Food
- Hiding places

Water and food are pretty easy, especially for snakes. Put up a bird bath and bird feeder. Birds drop a lot of seed on the ground, which attracts rodents.

For hiding places, a wood pile works. If you don't have a reason to keep firewood around, a small rock garden surrounded by 6-8" high ground-cover plants will work.

My grandparents used to have leftover carpet and sheets of corrugated metal laid out on the ground. They used to put the grass cuttings under there, and when I went to visit, I used to lift up the carpet and find slow worms (legless lizards in the UK) and grass snakes.

You gave me an idea LP. I’ll do some tinning to see what is there first and then go from there.

(PS, my grandpa was the one who got me interested in snakes)