Well I'm on the road again- after a stint on the east coast (I got to see whales!) and some time spent getting the centre ready for opening as well as shows in the muskokas, we're on our first overnight trip of the fall. This time Megan and I are up in Sudbury! This is too far north to find most snakes in Ontario, but there are a few neat types of snakes found up here.
Out of these few, there is only one species that reaches much farther north in Ontario that lays eggs! This is the Smooth Green Snake. There is a reason most of the snakes up here are live bearers- this allows them to follow the sun around in order to keep their young developing quickly enough for the shorter and colder summer. With an egg-laying snake, this is compromised as the eggs will inevitably only be in the sun for a portion of the day. The Smooth Green Snake gets around this in an interesting way.
While other snakes in Ontario typically lay their eggs about 60 days before they hatch, Smooth Green Snakes keep their eggs inside much longer. This means that they can follow the sun around all summer, giving their young adequate growth time, and the young hatch 3-7 days after being laid.
As their name suggests, they are smooth and green; being insectivorous, are also quite slender. Many people are surprised that these snakes live here in Ontario, as it seems like they should be hard to miss with their bright green colour. This colour, however, actually serves a completely opposite purpose to this conception- it acts as an excellent camouflage for the snake in its grassy habitat. Green Snakes are almost impossible to separate from their habitat because of this colour and also their behaviour. They will actually move in a way similar to a blade of grass in the wind, shaking back and forth and appear to be a blade of grass. Ask me about it- I will do the Green Snake dance for you.
Smooth Green Snakes are some of my favourite snakes, and I hope you keep your eyes out for these magnificent beauties.
-Eric.
Hello everyone!
I recently came across a blog posting by a fellow herpetologist down in the southeastern states. I thouroughly enjoy all of his postings, and while they focus on the reptiles and amphibians that live in those southern states, many of the themes are common to reptile and amphibian conservation continent wide. We spend a great deal of our time teaching children and families, with the hopes that one day they will teach their children. The posting [which can be accessed at http://davidasteen.blogspot.com/2009/09/big-snake-in-newark-delaware.html] covers the story of a large snake spotted in Newark, Delaware. This type of news really encourages us to keep up the work that we are doing. The children of today are being taught more each day about the wildlife that surrounds them. The hard part is being able to believe the knowledge that the children of today have stored in their brains.
For those who are interested in other biology works that are written for the everyday person, check out the rest of David Steen's blog (http://davidasteen.blogspot.com/).
For those with a bit more time on your hands, check out these books:
Song of the Dodo: Island Biogeography in an Age of Extinction by David Quammen
Snakebit: Confessions of a Herpetologist by Leslie Anthony
Flight of the Iguana: A Sidelong View of Science and Nature by David Quammen
The Lizard King by Bryan Christy
For the younger crowds, I myself find the "Uncover Books" extremely fascinating and filled with excellent factoids about the critters. I own the frog version, and have seen the cobra version as well (http://www.amazon.co.uk/Uncover-Cobra-Books/dp/1592233767).
Happy reading!
--M
The fall portion of our Reptiles At Risk on the Road program has officially begun! The past week has been spent visiting schools in the Orillia area, getting us back into the swing of things before heading out for weeks at a time to other destinations in Ontario. This means that we are driving...a lot. There are a couple things that we notice as we venture out to our programs. The first is that fall is just around the corner; leaves are starting to change colour, and the mornings are feeling brisk. The second are the road killed snakes and turtles. This is always a sad sight, and may be unavoidable in some circumstances. In fact, my first sighting of a wild Eastern Hognose Snake (arguably one of the most interesting snakes in Ontario) was of an adult female in a rather flat state. Luckily, these sightings do have a silver lining. Many species of snakes and turtles are cryptic, meaning they are very good at hiding themselves from the prying eyes of herpetologists. Reporting sightings of all species seen is a great idea, and road kills are important sightings! Joe Crowley, a fellow herpetologist and current employee of Ontario Nature, has spent the last year or so developing a new atlas to help keep track of Ontario's herpetofauna (reptiles and amphibians). You can find more information at http://www.ontarionature.org/herpetofaunal_atlas.html. It's easy to report sightings online, and every single report helps us understand the distribution and how common our reptiles and amphibians actually are. This can help direct recovery efforts and habitat protection programs. If you aren't sure what you're seeing, take a photo! Just remember to respect wildlife and its habitat. Harrassing species that are protected could land you with some hefty fines. So in the last couple weeks of suitable "reptile weather" keep your eyes out for snakes and turtles, and send in your sighting reports to the Ontario Herpetofaunal Atlas!
--M
The Reptiles at Risk on the Road project is a year-round effort. Even though the children may not be looking forward to returning to the books and homework associated with school, perhaps an entourage of Ontario snakes and turtles will cheer them up! As summer ends there are many changes happening. Robin (summer coordinator extraorinaire) has returned to school herself, leaving the program in the (hopefully) capable hands of myself. My name is Megan, and I'm a turtle researcher! Or at least I was. I just completed my masters degree at Laurentian University studying the endangered Spotted Turtle. I hope to continue the fabulous work that has already been accomplished by the Reptiles at Risk on the Road Project. My targets are schools! We want to provide our free outreach programs to any grade 6 through 8 classes that will have us. So check your newsletters, because we may be visiting your school this fall! Are you interested in having us come to your school?? Give us a call (705-327-2353) and hopefully we can work something out.
--M.