[NatureNS] Garter snake

Date: Sat, 14 Jul 2007 18:09:33 -0300
From: Joan Czapalay <joancz@ns.sympatico.ca>
To: naturens@chebucto.ns.ca
References: <C2BE73ED.F814%jimwolford@eastlink.ca>
User-Agent: Thunderbird 1.5.0.12 (Windows/20070509)
Precedence: bulk
Return-Path: <naturens-mml-owner@chebucto.ns.ca>
Original-Recipient: rfc822;"| (cd /csuite/info/Environment/FNSN/MList; /csuite/lib/arch2html)"

next message in archive
next message in thread
previous message in archive
previous message in thread
Index of Subjects

0p
Thanks, Chris! I think my son must have been bitten by a tempermental 
snake. And I have been giving it credit all of these years for worthier 
motives. Cheers, Joan

c.majka@ns.sympatico.ca wrote:
> Hi Jim,
>
> On 14-Jul-07, at 12:37 PM, Jim Wolford wrote:
>
>> I'm not sure that mother garter snakes care for their young at all after
>> birth -- perhaps John Gilhen can comment on this?
>
> The Ohio Department of Natural Resources page on the garter snake says 
> that:
>
> "The young receive no parental care and disperse immediately upon birth."
>
> http://www.dnr.state.oh.us/wildlife/Resources/reptiles/egart.htm
>
> Cheers,
>
> Chris
>
>>
>> Cheers from Jim in Wolfville
>> ----------
>> From: Jean Timpa <jtimpa@ns.sympatico.ca <mailto:jtimpa@ns.sympatico.ca>>
>> Reply-To: naturens@chebucto.ns.ca <mailto:naturens@chebucto.ns.ca>
>> Date: Sat, 14 Jul 2007 10:03:47 -0300
>> To: natureNS@chebucto.ns.ca <mailto:natureNS@chebucto.ns.ca>
>> Subject: [NatureNS] Garter snake
>>
>>  Garter snakes aren't the most user friendly types. None of them
>> really liked to be picked up by huge warm humans, but the only one which
>> ever bit me was a garter. It was fairly large, and I did not get a good
>> angle 
>> on clasping it carefully behind its head so it could not strike, as 
>> it was
>> curled up against a very steep woods embankment, so we were face to
>> face. So I was promptely bitten on the hand, which I deserved. There 
>> was a
>> bit of pain, but no ill effects.
>>  My Golden Guide to Snakes and Reptiles reminds me that Garter
>> Snakes bear their young live, up to twenty at a time, so the snake at the
>> entrance to its hole may well have been guarding young ones inside. There
>> are a number of different Garter Snakes across North America, and the GG
>> mentions that most are fairly docile and do well in captivity which 
>> is now
>> severely frowned upon. But..the Common Garter Snake... is more
>> aggressive than ohers and is marked by three yellowish stripes, while the
>> dark area in between is spotted. Our Ribbon Snake with yellow or red
>> stripes against brown scales is also a garter snake, and its tail is 
>> about a
>> third of its body length. I believe it is the one which is seldom 
>> seen any
>> more, and all sightings are of interest and should be reported to the
>> Museum of Natural History in Halifax.
>>  I envy your sightings, as I seldom see snakes any more. There
>> used to be a lot of them along the woods roads down home (Bear River),
>> with frogs and toads, where they used to like to sun themselves. Now, 
>> if I
>> find anything, it is just mashed ones. There may be other factors, 
>> but the
>> ATVs have done an awful number on them. ....and recently the legislation
>> has been softened on such vehicles. Jean
>
> _._._._._._._._._._._._._._._._._._._._._._._._._._._._._._._._._._._._._.
>
> Christopher Majka - Nova Scotia Museum of Natural History
>
> 1747 Summer Street, Halifax, Nova Scotia, Canada  B3H 3A6
>
> (902) 424-6435   Email <c.majka@ns.sympatico.ca 
> <mailto:c.majka@ns.sympatico.ca>>
>
> _._._._._._._._._._._._._._._._._._._._._._._._._._._._._._._._._._._._._.
>
>
> ------------------------------------------------------------------------
>
> No virus found in this incoming message.
> Checked by AVG Free Edition. 
> Version: 7.5.476 / Virus Database: 269.10.4/898 - Release Date: 7/12/2007 4:08 PM
>   

next message in archive
next message in thread
previous message in archive
previous message in thread
Index of Subjects