O-Files Q&A, Part 2

Yes, dear reader, it is that time again. That's right, YOU get to dictate the content of today's entry by asking your computer questions! Today's questions are as follows:

Q: What if your Marbled Salamander is not eating?

A: Apparently this reader did not have the same K-5 teacher that I did. If (s)he had, (s)he would have known that what-ifs don't matter. You can what-if yourself crazy. You can what-if until the cows come home or you die (whichever happens first) and it won't make a blessed bit of difference.

What if a meteor hit the earth? What if we are unable to reverse the current trend of entropy in the universe? What if that twitching vein in my leg means the doctor was right about my cholestorol levels after all? What if terrorists attack my sock drawer. What if-- (gasp)-- WHAT IF MY DEODERANT STOPS WORKING???

Anyway, I don't have a Marbled Salamander. Next question.

Q: What kind of snakes are on Erie?

A: You might think I would be tempted to mock the asker of this question, but, I have, in fact, seen snakes on Lake Erie. One was about fifty feet from shore and heading away from, not towards, land, so I feel the query is legitimate. Said serpent was a Northern Water Snake, by the way.

If, by chance, this person meant to ask what kind of snakes are on the Lake Erie islands, the answer would be that the most commonly seen snakes on those islands include the Eastern Fox Snake, the Eastern Racer, and the endangered Lake Erie Water snake. The L.E. Water snake can be distinguished from the northern variety by lack of belly pattern, absent or obscured dorsal pattern, and, sometimes, an overall greenish-gray cast.

Today's final question comes from a sensible reader in Flora, IL.

Q: What kind of snake looks like a fishing worm?

A: This is a great question. The snake this reader probably encountered was a Midwestern or Western Worm Snake. It is hard to tell as Flora may lie within an area where the two subspecies intergrade. A picture is available here.

That's all the time we have for today folks. But, remember, there is no such thing as a question your computer can't answer!