FSotY

This and several of the forthcoming posts will be backdated.

05/16/2005

Not surprisingly, an Eastern Garter Snake/Thamnophis s. sirtalis was my first snake of the year. I was looking under one of the cover boards at a public hunting grounds not far from where I work, and decided to move it because a sizable colony of red ants had taken up residence beneath it at the current site. My experience dictates largely that boards on top of big anthills harbor few snakes. Anyway, I had found what I believed was a more suitable spot, and was kind of stamping it into place when some movement in the grass to my left caught my eye. I froze, and after about 30 seconds of stealthful stalking, I had her in my grasp.

She was not terribly large, maybe 15-18 inches and somewhat stout for the length (is it too early for her to be gravid or was she just well fed?). It seemed to have quite a broad head as well. Coloration was typical for this area (NW Ohio)-- tan/olive dorsal hues, prominent dorsal spotting and an indistinct dorsal stripe. Also fairly common for sirtalis in our area was the reddish-orange flush to the skin between the scales involved in, and adjacent to, the lateral stripe. This extended from the neck rearward for about 2/3 of body length. Perhaps not coincidentally, the sides of the head had a somewhat coppery tinge to them. All in all, a nice-looking little snake. Of course, I had no camera with me. I have since returned several times to find an example to photograph. I attribute my lack of success to the length of grass and the recent hot, dry spell. Ironically, I have never found another snake near/under that same cover board.