News
New Research into Red Garter Snakes
When it comes to bright red garter snakes, the so-called “flame” garters from the Montreal area, bred in captivity now for many years, may be the first thing that comes to your mind. But bright red garter snakes are found elsewhere; I’ve heard stories of red garters from the Timmins, Ontario area — and a few years ago there were reports of red garters from northern Manitoba, near the zone of intergradation between Eastern (Thamnophis sirtalis sirtalis) and Red-sided Garter Snakes (T. s. parietalis). As far as I knew there were no implications in terms of new subspecies, just another example of the variability in pattern and colour you could get with Common Garter Snakes, especially Easterns.
A study on extreme colour morph variation in garter snake populations in northern Manitoba and Isle Royale, Michigan, has just been published in Copeia. The study found extreme red-colour variations in three of eight populations studied, plus melanistic snakes in several of the populations, and suggested that because of this variability of colour, “subspecies of T. sirtalis based on color are of questionable validity.” Which I take to mean that if red populations show up here and there all over the place, then relative reddishness is not grounds for declaring a local population a distinct subspecies. Whether this will have implications for western subspecies such as the Red-spotted (concinnus), California Red-sided (infernalis), Valley (fitchi) and even San Francisco (tetrataenia) remains to be seen, but that’s what I infer from that statement.
The Winnipeg Free Press reports on the study in lay terms.
The Cost of Evolving Toxin Resistance
More from Carl Zimmer on the evolutionary arms race between rough-skinned newts, which have evolved a powerful toxin, tetrodotoxin or TTX, to deter predators, and the predators — including garter snakes — that have evolved a resistance to that toxin.
[Biologist Butch] Brodie’s son, Edmund, grew up catching newts, and today he’s a biologist at the University of Virginia. Father and son and colleagues have discovered that snakes have independently evolved the same mutations to their receptors in some populations, while evolving other mutations with the same effect in other populations. They’ve also found that both newts and snakes pay a cost for their weaponry. The newts put in a lot of energy into making TTX that could be directed to growing and making baby newts. The evolved receptors in garter snakes don’t just protect them from TTX; they also leave the snakes slower than vulnerable snakes. They’ve studied newts and snakes up and down the west coast of North America and found a huge range of TTX potency and resistance. That’s what you’d expect from a coevolutionary process in which local populations are adapting to each other in different environments, with different costs and benefits to escalating the fight.
Previously: Three Evolutionary Routes to Newt Toxin Immunity; Garter Snakes Win Arms Race with Newts.
Two-Headed Albino Garter Snake Steals Basel Show
A two-headed albino Checkered Garter Snake is the star of an exhibition of odd animals in Basel, Switzerland, the Sun and Metro UK report. There are only eight bicephalic snakes in the world, the snake’s owner claims, and this is the only albino.
Idaho House For Sale, Free Garter Snakes Included
A house north of Rexburg, Idaho that is “infested” with hundreds if not thousands of garter snakes is on the market again, the Rexburg Standard Journal reports. The house is currently listed for $109,200; without the snakes, it would have been worth around $175,000. It’s been on the market twice due to foreclosures. The snakes are believed to have gotten in during a remodelling five years ago. It’s a pity the real estate agent can’t turn a snake-infested house into a selling point: I can think of some people, myself included, who wouldn’t be at all bothered by the presence of so many garter snakes — quite the opposite.
Update: More coverage from Reuters, Gawker, the Daily Mail and many, many other places.
Newfoundland Garter Snakes
Officially, the Canadian province of Newfoundland and Labrador is free of reptile species (unless you count sea turtles). That includes snakes. But, according to CBC News, garter snakes have been found breeding in the southwestern corner of Newfoundland. Biologists are worried that the introduced snakes might predate on the island’s unique subspecies of meadow vole, but it’s important not to overestimate the snakes’ reliance on mammal prey: if I’m not mistaken, mammals can be a substantial part of a large adult female’s diet, but that’s not necessarily the case with younger or male snakes, which are considerably smaller. They’re more likely to feed on the five frog and toad species that have also been introduced to the island.
Manitoba Garter Snakes in Autumn
As part of a series in which every provincial park in Manitoba gets visited, the Winnipeg Free Press’s Neil Babaluk pays a visit to Inwood, Manitoba and the Narcisse snake dens. Travelling north from Inwood, Babaluk discovered something gruesome: “Very quickly, we could tell that a mass snake migration was underway. The highway between Inwood and Narcisse was littered with the flattened bodies of snakes who were not lucky enough to make it across. Carcasses were literally everywhere.” As for the dens themselves: “Only two of the dens appeared to be active, with snakes slithering down the rocky edges into the pits. Most congregated together on the rocks to absorb the heat of the sun. We could see some of the snakes moving deeper into the dens, preparing for their winter of semi-hibernation.” See my article, The Narcisse Snake Dens in the Off-Season.
Spring Photos of Garter Snakes, 2010 Edition
Garter snakes’ spring emergence largely depends on how early spring comes in their area. Sometimes it’s as early as February and March, as you can see from this Flickr gallery, which I’ve assembled from some of the best garter snake photography so far this year.
I’m still waiting for photos — or any word, actually — from the Narcisse Snake Dens in Manitoba. Henk von Pickartz paid the dens a visit last weekend, and took lots of photos, but reports that the snakes have yet to come out in great numbers.
Merced to Create Giant Garter Snake Habitat, Snakes Hopefully Will Arrive Later
The city of Merced, California is paying nearly $400,000 to create habitat for the endangered Giant Garter Snake in a location where that species is not currently found, the Merced Sun-Star reports. The purchase and creation of the habitat is meant to offset the expansion of a wastewater treatment plant in an area identified as garter snake habitat. The company building the land bank says that the snakes will come once it’s built.
Three New Mexican Garter Snake Species Described in 2005
Three additional species of garter snake were identified in a 2005 research paper. In their paper, “Species limits within the Mexican garter snakes of the Thamnophis godmani complex,” published in no. 79 of the Occasional Papers of the Museum of Natural Science and available as a PDF online, Douglas Rossman and Frank Burbrink argue that four populations of garter snake in central Mexico previously identified as Godman’s Garter Snake, Thamnophis godmani, are in fact four distinct species. This conclusion is based on the fact that the four populations are apparently isolated and morphologically distinct from one another. New, then, are Thamnophis bogerti and lineri, from the Mexican state of Oaxaca, and Thamnophis conanti, from the Puebla-Veracruz border. Entries in the Species Guide for these three species are forthcoming. Thanks to Stefan Allen for the tip.
A New Plan for Sharp Park Golf Course and the San Francisco Garter
San Francisco’s Recreation and Parks Department has proposed a “Solomonic” solution to the fate of Sharp Park Golf Course, owned by the City of San Francisco but contained within nearby Pacifica and habitat for the San Francisco Garter Snake. Environmentalists wanted the golf course restored to its natural state; the Department recommends keeping the course open, but with some modifications to accomodate the snake.
The Best Garter Snake Photos of the Year
Recently, I put together a gallery of photos on Flickr that represented, I thought, some of the best in garter snake photography from the past year. There are 16 photos (so far; I have room for two more), taken from March to October, covering the continent from New England and Quebec to the Pacific Coast. Common Garter Snakes (Thamnophis sirtalis) make the most appearances, but there are a few Western Terrestrial Garter Snakes (T. elegans) and one photo of Two-striped Garter Snakes (T. hammondii). They’ve been caught emerging from hibernation, eating, and engaging in courtship. Some of the photos you will remember from this article. And lest you think all of these photos were taken by pros with expensive gear, many of these awesome shots were taken with consumer-grade cameras. Enjoy!
Garter Snakes Invade Seniors’ Home in Manitoba
Residents of a seniors complex are complaining about an invasion of garter snakes, which are turning up all over the place in their apartments. The trouble is, the apartment complex is in Inwood, Manitoba. This is a town that has a statue dedicated to the Red-sided Garter Snake (right); it’s only a few kilometres south of the famous Narcisse Snake Dens, and, if my visit there three years ago is any indication, is not exactly short of garter snakes itself. They are, in other words, an acknowledged tourist attraction; I’m surprised the residents didn’t get the memo. CBC News, Globe and Mail, Winnipeg Free Press, Winnipeg Sun.
Update: The province will repair cracks in the building’s foundation, starting next week.
Three Evolutionary Routes to Newt Toxin Immunity
Three different garter snake species took different evolutionary paths to arrive at immunity to newt toxins, a new study published in the Proceedings of the National Academy of Science has found. The species in question are the Pacific Coast Aquatic Garter Snake (Thamnophis atratus), the Sierra Garter Snake (T. couchii) and the Common Garter Snake (T. sirtalis), all of which can swallow enough tetrodotoxin to kill a human being several times over when they eat a newt from the genus Taricha.
Previously: Garter Snakes Win Arms Race with Newts.
Giant Garter Snake Population Rediscovered
A biologist’s study of the 13 historic subpopulations of Giant Garter Snake (Thamnophis gigas) to see how many still exist has turned up a population of them in a wetland north of Stockton, California. It’s the first time in 15 years that they’ve been spotted in San Joaquin County, the Stockton Record reports. Eric C. Hansen’s research also confirms that 11 of the 13 historic subpopulations are still going concerns: good news for the threatened reptile.
Golf Course Targeted for Garter Snake Habitat Restoration
Environmental groups want a golf course owned by the City of San Francisco (but located in the nearby city of Pacifica) restored to its natural state to preserve habitat for the San Francisco Garter Snake and its main prey, the California Red-legged Frog. The San Francisco Examiner reported last month that legislation to do just that was introduced, as part of negotiations between the City and the Center for Biological Diversity, who have threatened a lawsuit over the issue. Debate on the proposal continues.
SF Examiner on the Narcisse Snake Dens
The Narcisse Snake Dens of Manitoba get some attention from San Francisco, of all places — the San Francisco Examiner has a two-part feature this week on a visit to the dens, which presumably occurred before this year’s season: part one, part two. Bob Ecker’s tale does contain a couple of biological boners, though. Garter snakes have two hemipenes not in case one of them breaks off, but because they evolved that way; all snakes and lizards are like that. And the musky odour emitted by snakes is not because they’re aroused; it’s a defence mechanism. Let’s just say that I’ve been around a lot of aroused garter snakes. And pheromones aren’t something you can smell. Even so, interesting to see this story.
Narcisse Garter Snakes Will Be Late This Year
Red-sided Garter Snakes at the Narcisse Snake Dens will be a little late emerging from hibernation this year, the Winnipeg Free Press reports. Normally out by the first weekend in April, the snakes are not expected to be “worth the trip” until early May, says a Manitoba government biologist — a result of the extended cold over the past winter. A status page lets potential visitors know whether there’s any action going on at the dens.
Volunteers Monitor Calgary Park Garter Snake Population
Young volunteers with the Friends 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
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
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.
Older Entries
- Children’s Books About Garter Snakes (July 1, 2007)
- Garter Snake Bites Man, Cops Issue Advisory (June 4, 2007)
- Seven Wonders of Canada: Narcisse Snake Dens (May 16, 2007)
- A Visit to a Manitoba Snake Den (May 5, 2007)
- Snakes in a Bathroom, Residence Foundation Patched (April 14, 2007)
- Bangor Daily News Interviews Robert Mason (April 9, 2007)
- Wisconsin DNR Reduces Areas for Butler’s Garter (March 29, 2007)
- Garter Snakes Absorb Newt Toxins as a Defence Against Birds (February 14, 2007)
- Developer, Snakes Swap Land for Subdivisions, Habitat (February 11, 2007)
- Cabin Tenant Kills Garter Snakes, Sues Landlord (January 16, 2007)
- Garter Snake Now Massachusetts State Reptile (January 4, 2007)
- Butler’s Garter Won’t Be De-Listed in Wisconsin (November 30, 2006)
- Butler’s Garter Controversy Goes National (September 30, 2006)
- Snakes in a Graveyard (September 27, 2006)
- Snakes in a Basement (September 27, 2006)
- Mexican Garter Snake Denied ESA Protection (September 26, 2006)
- Pheromones and Garter Snakes (September 4, 2006)
- Massachusetts to Name Garter Snake as State Reptile (August 22, 2006)
- Legislature Threatens to De-List Butler’s Garter (July 28, 2006)
- Snakes … in a Car! (July 14, 2006)
- Largest Red-sided Garter Captured (May 17, 2006)
- Listing the Mexican Garter as Endangered (May 11, 2006)
- Garter Snakes Emerge in Manitoba (April 30, 2006)
- Garter Snakes Emerge in Northwest Territories (April 21, 2006)
- Butler’s Garters an Obstacle to Hospital Construction (March 9, 2006)
- Mori Point Environmental Assessment Released (March 9, 2006)
- USFWS to Review Mexican Garter Snake (January 4, 2006)
- Manitoba Garter Snake Road Mortality Reduced (September 16, 2005)
- Garter Snake Found in Alaska (September 7, 2005)
- USFWS Will Consider Protecting Mexican Garter Snake (August 23, 2005)
- Wyoming Resident Complains About Garter Snakes in Yard (August 21, 2005)
- San Francisco Garter Snakes Return to SF Zoo (June 2, 2005)
- Conservation Group Sues USFWS over Garter Snake Status (May 17, 2005)
- Environmental Triage for Butler’s Garters in Wisconsin (May 10, 2005)
- Sacramento Airport Buys 300 Acres of Giant Garter Habitat (April 25, 2005)
- Narcisse Garter Snakes Out Early (April 22, 2005)
- Newts, Garter Snakes Engaged in Toxic Arms Race at Molecular Level (April 6, 2005)
- Highway Project Includes Ecopassages for Butler’s Garters (April 4, 2005)
- Sewerage District, Construction Firm Face Charges for Disturbing Butler’s Garter Habitat (March 18, 2005)
- San Francisco Garter Focus of Mori Point Open House (September 29, 2004)
- Northern Ribbon Snakes Discovered in Quebec (September 26, 2004)
- Garter Snakes Infest Illinois Neighbourhood (September 17, 2004)
- Checkered Garter Stolen from Community Farm (September 16, 2004)
The Garter Snakes: Evolution and Ecology
North American Watersnakes