Snakes are interesting creatures

#Middlebury #Snakes

Cutline:
This nonvenomous Northern Watersnake is in its usual habitat by a Middlebury body of water. It may have felt threatened, as it moved into a coiled position when approached. (Janine Sullivan-Wiley photo)

By JANINE SULLIVAN-WILEY

“Ewww!” said one. “They’re adorable!” said another. Two completely different opinions, same animal. What inspires such divergent emotions? Snakes.

Jeanine Bonaventure was the biggest fan I found. “I love snakes!” she said. “We grew up with snakes. My mother loved all creatures, and when she saw a snake, she would call us over to see them.” Apparently, her mother’s attitudes stuck fast, as she commented, “They have the cutest little tongues. I love the way they taste the air.” She has generally seen the small ones that live in this area, but once found a big black one that had apparently eaten a mouse. That is one of the great values of snakes, as many are natural predators of rodents and help keep their populations in check.

Snakes are – regardless of how you respond to them – very interesting creatures. These reptiles smell with their tongues, and many “see” heat through infrared receptors on their heads. They feel even small vibrations in the earth through their bellies. Some have keen vision. All have jointed skulls that enable them to swallow things much larger than their heads.

Snakes move by several different means. The most common is lateral undulation, always used in the water and often on land, whereby the snake moves in waves, flexing left and right. They also can move, but more slowly, by moving their belly scales up, forward and then down to pull themselves forward. They can move by sidewinding, in trees by bracing and stretching, and by concertina where they wind up and then push against their coil.

All snakes are strictly carnivorous. Snakes that are venomous primarily use their venom to subdue prey, not in self-defense. But all snakes can bite if disturbed or startled, and it does not have to be intentional. Stepping on one or grabbing one when gardening might cause it to react by biting. (Please see the article “If a snake bites you” on what to do if bitten by a venomous snake.)

Middlebury provides a variety of habitats for snakes. We have 14 species in Connecticut, two of which are venomous – the copperhead and the timber rattlesnake, a protected endangered species in this state. The DEEP website has an excellent online book describing each snake (tinyurl.com/y4d6k9vz) and telling readers what to do if they encounter a snake in their yard or in their home. It says “Hundreds of snakes are needlessly killed each year because of mistaken identity, fear, and misunderstanding.”

What I particularly like about this guide is the mention of snakes that might be mistaken for one of the venomous varieties and killed in fear. But even if positively identified as a copperhead or timber rattler, as the DEEP site notes, “These venomous snakes, along with the other 12 Connecticut snake species, are not aggressive and will only bite if threatened or handled. If left alone, snakes pose no threat to people.”

I can attest to that as I once found myself paddling in a kayak a 3- to 4-foot long watersnake had decided to occupy. We discovered each other out in the middle of a lake where continued co-occupancy was unavoidable. Even though I did smack it several times with a paddle (when it decided to slither around my feet), it didn’t bite but just made a fast retreat to the interior back of the kayak. It was happy to swim out and away when I returned to shore and flooded the boat. No bite, and no aggression even though watersnakes can be testy.

Learn about our snakes so you can stay safe and sensible out there and keep enjoying our beautiful outdoors!

For information on Middlebury Land Trust properties – which probably do have snakes quietly in residence – go to middleburylandtrust.org. Contact me at jswspotlight@gmail.com.