Gartersnake.info

Volunteers Monitor Calgary Park Garter Snake Population

Jonathan Crowe — Thu, 10 Apr 2008 20:10:00 -0500

Young volunteers with theFriends of Fish Creek Provincial Park Society in Calgary are monitoring the park’s garter snake population, the Calgary Herald reports. “‘Each spring the park sets up 10 wooden traps that catch the snakes as they move from the hibernaculum to the creek,’ says the children’s mother, Jennifer Brown. Teams of volunteers visit the traps twice a day, seven days a week, in all types of weather. The monitoring takes place from April to June, though the exact timing depends on the spring thaw.”

Fate of San Francisco Garter Snake Depends on Frog

Jonathan Crowe — Thu, 10 Apr 2008 20:03:30 -0500

The San Mateo County Times looks at conservation efforts to help two threatened species in the Golden Gate National Recreation Area’s Mori Point site: the Red-legged Frog and the San Francisco Garter Snake. “The relationship between the two species is fragile. When the population of the frog declines, so does the population of the snake.” Conservation efforts to ensure a healthy frog population therefore help preserve the snake population.

Garter Snakes Win Arms Race with Newts

Jonathan Crowe — Tue, 11 Mar 2008 12:36:48 -0500

Research on garter snakes’ resistance to tetrodotoxin (TTX), the toxic secretions of the Rough-skinned Newt (Taricha granulosa), continues. As far as the toxic arms race is concerned, a new study published today suggests that the garter snakes are winning. While the most toxic newts are found in the same areas as the most TTX-resistant snakes, the study also found that in one-third of the areas, even the least resistant snakes could manage the most toxic newts. This suggests that there is no pressure for the snakes to evolve even greater resistance; the study argues that there are few snake genes involved in toxin resistance, allowing it to evolve quickly. The biologic limits of the newt itself is another factor: TTX is secreted away in the amphibian’s skin, but is toxic to the newt itself, which limits the amount that can be produced. Science Daily, Times Online.

Previously: Garter Snakes Absorb Newt Toxins as a Defence Against Birds; Newts, Garter Snakes Engaged in Toxic Arms Race at Molecular Level.

Garter Snakes in Winter

Jonathan Crowe — Mon, 07 Jan 2008 12:41:41 -0500

In winter, garter snakes are supposed to be hibernating. This presents some challenges when one turns up in your basement, or when you’re keeping them as pets over the winter. Read this article »

Gartersnake.info's Seasonal Audience

Jonathan Crowe — Sun, 15 Jul 2007 17:17:53 -0500

An interesting quirk of this web site’s audience is that it has a growth spurt each spring and summer. Here are the monthly page views from July 2004 to June 2007 — each sudden spurt correlates to the start of spring; each decline to the fall and winter:

From this I can only guess that most of my page views are generated by people searching for information about garter snakes, and that most of them do so when garter snakes are out and about in the wild. This suggests that I should provide more information for people who find garter snakes in their gardens, and not just for people who keep them in cages.

Children's Books About Garter Snakes

Jonathan Crowe — Sun, 01 Jul 2007 14:16:48 -0500

Two children’s books featuring garter snakes have recently come to my attention — both, coincidentally, by Canadians.

The Serpent’s Spell by Rae Bridgman is a fantasy novel: two young sorcerers must solve the mystery of who is responsible for the deaths of snakes at the Narcisse snake dens; ages 9-12 and up. I’ve got a copy on order and should have more to say about this book shortly.

Vernon and the Snake by Crystal J. Stranaghan is aimed at ages 4-9. “[Vernon] just wants to play, but comes across a garter snake in his backyard. He suits up, ready to do battle — but there’s another side of the story,” the the Parksville Qualicum News reports. “Stranaghan provides two points of view: Vernon’s and the snake’s. One just has to flip over the book to see what the snake thinks of Vernon. Eventually, the two find a way to live peacefully together by learning about each other — a valuable lesson which can be applied elsewhere.”

Buy The Serpent’s Spell and Vernon and the Snake at Amazon.com.

Garter Snake Bites Man, Cops Issue Advisory

Jonathan Crowe — Mon, 04 Jun 2007 14:55:32 -0500

HALIFAX — How far removed from nature have we as human beings become? Halifax police have issued an advisory after a Dartmouth man was bitten by what was likely a large, female melanistic Maritime Garter Snake. The man checked into hospital after suffering some reactions, which has happened to a few people bitten by garter snakes. (There are no venomous snakes in Nova Scotia.) But think of it: a police advisory over a garter snake bite. Seriously, people: stop being afraid of the outdoors.

Update: It may not be this simple: the Canadian Press report suggests that, with Halifax being a port city, it’s possible that it might be an exotic species and something more dangerous, rather than someone taking the vapours because a garter snake bit them. But you know how subjective and unreliable snake sighting reports can be.

Seven Wonders of Canada: Narcisse Snake Dens

Jonathan Crowe — Wed, 16 May 2007 21:59:07 -0500

Seven Wonders of Canada is one of those sorta-lame megaprojects the Canadian Broadcasting Corporation comes up with from time to time; I was all set to ignore it until it was pointed out to me that one of the nominees is the Narcisse Snake Dens. Admittedly, there are a great many nominees, so don’t get your hopes up.

A Visit to a Manitoba Snake Den

Jonathan Crowe — Sat, 05 May 2007 10:37:26 -0500

In a feature in the travel section of today’s Globe and Mail, Alan Sirulnikoff writes about his experience visiting a snake den near Inwood, Manitoba during the (famous) spring emergence of Red-sided Garter Snakes. (Note that he was not at the well-documented Narcisse Snake Dens, but at another, nearby site.) Refreshingly unsquicky in attitude: “I kneel on the dusty ground trying to compose a photo amid the squirming life. Soon, I feel the smooth, silky undersides of several snakes as they glide across my bare legs. Yes, I could freak out, but it’s all so non-threatening as these serpents treat me as just another part of the landscape. Besides, it feels good.” There are also photos.

Snakes in a Bathroom, Residence Foundation Patched

Jonathan Crowe — Sat, 14 Apr 2007 10:16:13 -0500

UNIVERSITY CENTER, MI — Work crews were called in to patch the foundation and add aluminum cladding around a residence complex at Saginaw Valley State University after four garter snakes were found in an apartment bathroom, the Saginaw News reports. Temporary accomodations were provided while the snakes were removed and the building sealed. For garter snakes.

Bangor Daily News Interviews Robert Mason

Jonathan Crowe — Mon, 09 Apr 2007 13:17:58 -0500

Oregon State University zoology professor Robert T. Mason — himself the subject of a children’s book about garter snakes, The Snake Scientist by Sy Montgomery — is in Maine this week to give presentations on our favourite reptiles. The Bangor Daily News has an interview. The paper asks Mason, why garter snakes? “They are the perfect ambassador for the reptile world. You can go out on a sunny day in the spring or summer, and a little stripy snake goes slithering by, and you can pick it up. They don’t usually bite. It would hurt more to pick blackberries. They’re very gentle.”

Wisconsin DNR Reduces Areas for Butler's Garter

Jonathan Crowe — Thu, 29 Mar 2007 08:06:25 -0500

Wisconsin’s Department of Natural Resources has reduced the number of areas it wants designated as critical habitat for the Butler’s Garter Snake from 65 to 40; it says that the lower number will still not affect the health of the species, which is threatened in that state. Presumably this step was taken in the hope that it would ease tensions between the DNR, land developers who felt constrained by the protection measures, and the Republican legislators in their pocket.

Garter Snakes Absorb Newt Toxins as a Defence Against Birds

Jonathan Crowe — Wed, 14 Feb 2007 20:37:34 -0500

A new twist to the toxic arms race between Common Garter Snakes and Rough-skinned Newts, the San Francisco Chronicle reports: “One group of the garter snakes has evolved immunity to the TTX poison,” the tetrodotoxin secreted by newts, which was new; but it turns out that “when the snakes eat the newt, they retain enough poison to cause predatory birds to vomit and even die after eating the snake’s liver.” And birds sure do love them some garter snake liver: crows have been observed in Manitoba ripping the livers out of live snakes, leaving the rest behind. (The article also discusses a Japanese natricine that absorbs toxins from toads.)

Developer, Snakes Swap Land for Subdivisions, Habitat

Jonathan Crowe — Sun, 11 Feb 2007 18:15:33 -0500

GENESEE, WI — A new subdivision of 185 homes planned for the outskirts of Waukesha, Wisconsin will destroy 20 acres of Butler’s Garter Snake habitat; to offset the habitat loss, the developer, Thomson Corp., will donate 74 acres of adjacent land to the Retzer Nature Center; the land is suitable habitat for the species, which is listed as threatened in Wisconsin. Milwaukee Journal-Sentinel.

Cabin Tenant Kills Garter Snakes, Sues Landlord

Jonathan Crowe — Tue, 16 Jan 2007 08:03:50 -0500

ASPEN, CO — An Aspen cabin “contaminated” with garter snakes is at the centre of a $6,000 lawsuit by its tenant, who complains that he had to kill over 100 snakes during his stay there. I don’t know about you, but garter snakes never struck me as something that “needed” killing — there are ways of dealing with snakes getting into your house — and in many jurisdictions, killing a hundred wild animals, even common garter snakes, would raise some eyebrows amongst wildlife conservation authorities. Apparently not Colorado.