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For
expert information of Ontario snakes, please check out:
Ontario
Quick Reference Guide
Lizards
and Snakes of Ontario
Snake
Range Maps (Ontario)
Reptiles
are common in the Burwash area. Most are shy and elusive. The
following are a very few examples of the local reptiles that occur in
the Burwash area, south of the city of Sudbury. This is the same area
were most of the wildflowers were photographed.
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Redbellied
(or Redbelly) Snake (Storeria occipitomaculata): The Redbellied
snake and Brown
snake are closely related species. Both have a
brown-coloured dorsal area. Both are similar in size, appearance,
habitat, and behaviour. In Ontario, the Redbellied Snake ranges
further north than the Brown Snake. The Redbellied snake is
small, 20-35 cm long, has dark coloured (brown, gray or black), has
four dark longitudinal lines and a red or orangish belly. The
orange colour of the belly may not be seen from above.
Redbellied Snakes usually have a light coloured spot on the back of
the neck and one on either side of the neck. They seek shelter below
the leaf litter and under logs. It prefers to eat earth worms and
slugs. It is a food source for other snakes, birds, Raccoons and
Skunks. This Redbellied Snake was crossing an old road between grass fields.
The Brown Snake
which has a light brown or cream coloured belly with two rows of dark
spots on its body. It has dark spots in the neck region.
Redbellied snake
identification by Michael J. Oldham, Ontario Natural Heritage
Information Centre (NHIC), Biodiversity Section, Fish & Wildlife
Branch, Ontario Ministry of Natural Resources
Location: Burwash
Date: April 29, 2001
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The
Northern Water Snake lives beside wet areas. It hunts within the
water and along the water's edge. It is commonly seen basking in the
sun on rocks or on logs. It is not poisonous. It eats fish,
frogs, and tad poles. This Northern water snake had captured a tad pole.
Location:
Killarney Lighthouse area
Date: July 1, 2008
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The
smooth green grass snake favours areas with lots of thick green
vegetation. This includes fields, wet meadows, bogs, marsh edges and
open woodlands. The snake is active during the day and feeds on
crickets, grasshoppers, caterpillars, beetles, spiders, centipedes
and millipedes. They rarely bite humans.
Location: McVittie powerline
Date: July 22, 2001
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The
Eastern Milk Snake can grow up to 1 m in length. The spots or
colouration is usually red with black borders, but the colour can be
variable and blotches may be brown or even green. It is the only
snake in Ontario that is reddish. It is not venomous. It eats
small mammals and small ground-nesting birds. It lives in old fields
and is more active at night when it is hunting. If surprised or
threatened, the Eastern Milk Snake assumes an aggressive
behaviour. It raises its head in the air, vibrates its tail and
may attempt to bite. It is sometimes mistaken for a rattlesnake,
especially when the vibrating tail makes a buzzing sound in dry leaves.
The Eastern Milk
Snake is of Special Concern Nationally. It is listed as a
"specially protected species" in schedules of the Fish and
Wildlife Conservation Act, 1997. This Act prohibits hunting or
trapping of this species, and it cannot be kept in captivity unless
special permission is obtained from the Ministry of Natural Resources
for the purposes of research or conservation management.
Information about
endangered species in Ontario that are protected by legislation: SARA
- species at risk act; COSEWIC (The Committee on the Status of
Endangered Wildlife in Canada); and the Ontario Fish and Wildlife
Conservation Act.
References:
Canada's
Species at Risk
Environment
Canada Species at Risk.
Location: Burwash
old village
Date: May 22, 2004.
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Eastern Milk Snake.
Location: Burwash
old village
Date: May 22, 2004.
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The
Common Garter Snake is the most widely distributed snake in North
America. They are called garter snakes because of the pattern on
their sides. It is said that the pattern resembles the form of
garters once worn by men to hold up their socks. The are
commonly less than 80 cm in length. Their colour can vary from
green, to grey, to almost black. They normally have back
stripes on their side. The pattern makes the snake less visible to
predators. Garter snakes give birth to live young in late
summer. They eat earthworms, frogs, and mice. They
live in a range of habitats, including forests, edges of streams,
fields, and wetlands. In the winter, snakes hibernate in a deep
crack, rock pile or log pile where the temperature remains above freezing.
Location: Burwash
Date: August 12, 2007.
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