Garter Snake News
Expired links: Links may not work on older news items; many newspapers routinely remove stories after a few weeks. Please don’t e-mail me about a broken link in an old story: there’s nothing I can do about it.
Volunteers Monitor Calgary Park Garter Snake PopulationThursday, April 10, 2008
Young volunteers with theFriends 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 FrogThursday, April 10, 2008
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 NewtsTuesday, March 11, 2008
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.
Children’s Books About Garter SnakesSunday, July 1, 2007
Two children’s books featuring garter snakes have recently come to my attention — both, coincidentally, by Canadians.
The Serpent’s Spell by Rae Bridgman is a fantasy novel: two young sorcerers must solve the mystery of who is responsible for the deaths of snakes at the Narcisse snake dens; ages 9-12 and up. I’ve got a copy on order and should have more to say about this book shortly.
Vernon and the Snake by Crystal J. Stranaghan is aimed at ages 4-9. “[Vernon] just wants to play, but comes across a garter snake in his backyard. He suits up, ready to do battle — but there’s another side of the story,” the the Parksville Qualicum News reports. “Stranaghan provides two points of view: Vernon’s and the snake’s. One just has to flip over the book to see what the snake thinks of Vernon. Eventually, the two find a way to live peacefully together by learning about each other — a valuable lesson which can be applied elsewhere.”
Buy The Serpent’s Spell and Vernon and the Snake at Amazon.com.
Garter Snake Bites Man, Cops Issue AdvisoryMonday, June 4, 2007
HALIFAX — How far removed from nature have we as human beings become? Halifax police have issued an advisory after a Dartmouth man was bitten by what was likely a large, female melanistic Maritime Garter Snake. The man checked into hospital after suffering some reactions, which has happened to a few people bitten by garter snakes. (There are no venomous snakes in Nova Scotia.) But think of it: a police advisory over a garter snake bite. Seriously, people: stop being afraid of the outdoors.
Update: It may not be this simple: the Canadian Press report suggests that, with Halifax being a port city, it’s possible that it might be an exotic species and something more dangerous, rather than someone taking the vapours because a garter snake bit them. But you know how subjective and unreliable snake sighting reports can be.
Seven Wonders of Canada: Narcisse Snake DensWednesday, May 16, 2007
Seven Wonders of Canada is one of those sorta-lame megaprojects the Canadian Broadcasting Corporation comes up with from time to time; I was all set to ignore it until it was pointed out to me that one of the nominees is the Narcisse Snake Dens. Admittedly, there are a great many nominees, so don’t get your hopes up.
A Visit to a Manitoba Snake DenSaturday, May 5, 2007
In a feature in the travel section of today’s Globe and Mail, Alan Sirulnikoff writes about his experience visiting a snake den near Inwood, Manitoba during the (famous) spring emergence of Red-sided Garter Snakes. (Note that he was not at the well-documented Narcisse Snake Dens, but at another, nearby site.) Refreshingly unsquicky in attitude: “I kneel on the dusty ground trying to compose a photo amid the squirming life. Soon, I feel the smooth, silky undersides of several snakes as they glide across my bare legs. Yes, I could freak out, but it’s all so non-threatening as these serpents treat me as just another part of the landscape. Besides, it feels good.” There are also photos.
Snakes in a Bathroom, Residence Foundation PatchedSaturday, April 14, 2007
UNIVERSITY CENTER, MI — Work crews were called in to patch the foundation and add aluminum cladding around a residence complex at Saginaw Valley State University after four garter snakes were found in an apartment bathroom, the Saginaw News reports. Temporary accomodations were provided while the snakes were removed and the building sealed. For garter snakes.
Bangor Daily News Interviews Robert MasonMonday, April 9, 2007
Oregon State University zoology professor Robert T. Mason — himself the subject of a children’s book about garter snakes, The Snake Scientist by Sy Montgomery — is in Maine this week to give presentations on our favourite reptiles. The Bangor Daily News has an interview. The paper asks Mason, why garter snakes? “They are the perfect ambassador for the reptile world. You can go out on a sunny day in the spring or summer, and a little stripy snake goes slithering by, and you can pick it up. They don’t usually bite. It would hurt more to pick blackberries. They’re very gentle.”
Wisconsin DNR Reduces Areas for Butler’s GarterThursday, March 29, 2007
Wisconsin’s Department of Natural Resources has reduced the number of areas it wants designated as critical habitat for the Butler’s Garter Snake from 65 to 40; it says that the lower number will still not affect the health of the species, which is threatened in that state. Presumably this step was taken in the hope that it would ease tensions between the DNR, land developers who felt constrained by the protection measures, and the Republican legislators in their pocket.
Garter Snakes Absorb Newt Toxins as a Defence Against BirdsWednesday, February 14, 2007
A new twist to the toxic arms race between Common Garter Snakes and Rough-skinned Newts, the San Francisco Chronicle reports: “One group of the garter snakes has evolved immunity to the TTX poison,” the tetrodotoxin secreted by newts, which was new; but it turns out that “when the snakes eat the newt, they retain enough poison to cause predatory birds to vomit and even die after eating the snake’s liver.” And birds sure do love them some garter snake liver: crows have been observed in Manitoba ripping the livers out of live snakes, leaving the rest behind. (The article also discusses a Japanese natricine that absorbs toxins from toads.)
Developer, Snakes Swap Land for Subdivisions, HabitatSunday, February 11, 2007
GENESEE, WI — A new subdivision of 185 homes planned for the outskirts of Waukesha, Wisconsin will destroy 20 acres of Butler’s Garter Snake habitat; to offset the habitat loss, the developer, Thomson Corp., will donate 74 acres of adjacent land to the Retzer Nature Center; the land is suitable habitat for the species, which is listed as threatened in Wisconsin. Milwaukee Journal-Sentinel.
Cabin Tenant Kills Garter Snakes, Sues LandlordTuesday, January 16, 2007
ASPEN, CO — An Aspen cabin “contaminated” with garter snakes is at the centre of a $6,000 lawsuit by its tenant, who complains that he had to kill over 100 snakes during his stay there. I don’t know about you, but garter snakes never struck me as something that “needed” killing — there are ways of dealing with snakes getting into your house — and in many jurisdictions, killing a hundred wild animals, even common garter snakes, would raise some eyebrows amongst wildlife conservation authorities. Apparently not Colorado.
Garter Snake Now Massachusetts State ReptileThursday, January 4, 2007
Among the final bills outgoing Massachusetts Gov. Mitt Romney signed into law before leaving office was one making the garter snake the official state reptile. (We first heard about this bill last summer.)
Butler’s Garter Won’t Be De-Listed in WisconsinThursday, November 30, 2006
The Butler’s Garter Snake (Thamnophis butleri) is safe again in Wisconsin.
There was speculation (Milwaukee Journal-Sentinel, AP) that the election results would make it less likely that the snake would be removed from Wisconsin’s endangered species list, since it was while the legislature was under Republican control that the snake faced delisting by a legislative committee, as part of an ongoing conflict between the legislature and Wisconsin’s Department of Natural Resources (see previous entries: 1, 2), and the state Senate went Democratic in the elections.
But even before the new session was sworn in, the committee voted 7-2 on Tuesday to maintain the Butler’s garter’s threatened status (which it has had since 1997), after the DNR outlined some changes it would make to streamline review times and reduce costs for developers.
Butler’s Garter Controversy Goes NationalSaturday, September 30, 2006
The controversy over whether the Butler’s Garter Snake (Thamnophis butleri) should lose its threatened status in Wisconsin has been simmering for months; I first covered it in late July. State representatives argue that the snake is plentiful and its status is threatening development. Opponents of the plan to delist argue that it’s politics rather than science, and that it represents a slippery slope that could set a precent that would undermine endangered-species listings anywhere. Which is probably why it made page two of today’s Washington Post.
Snakes in a GraveyardWednesday, September 27, 2006
MARSHALL, SASK. — A woman is freaking out over the presence of garter snakes at the cemetery where her parents are buried in Marshall, Saskatchewan (southeast of Lloydminster). The town has removed snake-friendly foliage and has poured ammonia (!) down holes, but she’s calling for extermination: “by rooting them out, ploughing them over, poisoning the remaining snakes, and getting a cat for good measure.” Town officials are rather reluctant, finding that snake killing is neither time-efficient nor humane, and they haven’t noticed that many snakes there anyway. Methinks someone is making her phobia everyone else’s problem.
Snakes in a BasementWednesday, September 27, 2006
ST. ANTHONY, IDAHO — Lyman Hepworth bought a house for cheap in March; the reason why it was so cheap was apparently because 500 garter snakes were using it as a hibernaculum. The previous owner is offering to take the house back, but the Hepworths simply want the snakes gone. At least they’ve stopped killing them. As I’ve said before (1, 2), some people have all the luck. Some of us pay good money to fill our basements with snakes!
Mexican Garter Snake Denied ESA ProtectionTuesday, September 26, 2006
In a press release, the Center for Biological Diversity expresses its disappointment at the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service’s decision not to list the Mexican Garter Snake (Thamnophis eques) as an endangered species — largely, they say, due to the species’s occurrence in Mexico, where, while it is listed as threatened there, surveys of that species have not taken place. Previous reports on this story: 1, 2, 3, 4.
Pheromones and Garter SnakesMonday, September 4, 2006
Snake pheromones are in the news lately thanks to their being a plot point in a certain ridiculous movie about reptiles in an airborne conveyance (my take on which is here); the Philadelphia Inquirer not only debunks the movie, it also talks about how male red-sided garter snakes use pheromones to confuse other males. Not only do they confuse the competition for females, but it also helps them warm up by having mating balls form around them.
Massachusetts to Name Garter Snake as State ReptileTuesday, August 22, 2006
BOSTON — Plans are under way to have Massachusetts designate the Common Garter Snake as its official state reptile, the Boston Globe reports. The state’s House of Representatives approved the choice in an informal session yesterday; it must still be approved by the state Senate and signed by the Governor to become law.
Legislature Threatens to De-List Butler’s GarterFriday, July 28, 2006
The Milwaukee Journal Sentinel: “A [Wisconsin] state legislative committee has taken the apparently unprecedented action of removing all protections for the Butler’s garter snake unless officials roll back regulations for the controversial reptile.” The Republican-controlled legislature has squabbled with the Department of Natural Resources for years. The committee became convinced that the species — first listed as threatened in 1997 — is not threatened at all. It’s probably quite coincidental that the species has been the subject of many development-related controversies.
Snakes … in a Car!Friday, July 14, 2006
WARRENTON (OR) — When they came back from the grocery store, Warrenton resident Sherry Hart and her teenage granddaughter discovered two large garter snakes in the back seat of their car. Then they found more. Eventually they (and the police) counted more than 20 snakes, and they’re not sure they got them all. The snakes may have been born there, but authorities suspect that the snakes were placed in the car as a prank. “I’m not afraid of snakes,” says Hart, but she hasn’t driven the car since. Um, yes you are. News from the Daily Astorian; picked up by AP and reprinted by KGW.
Largest Red-sided Garter CapturedWednesday, May 17, 2006
WINNIPEG — At 134 cm, it’s not the largest Common Garter Snake on record — according to Rossman et al., the record is 137.2 cm — but it may well be the largest Red-sided Garter Snake ever found, the Winnipeg Sun reports. University of Manitoba graduate student Jonathan Wiens found the specimen, a large female (of course), during research on denning sites near Jenpeg, Manitoba last month. Jenpeg is a hydro dam along the Nelson River, north of Lake Winnipeg — it’s awfully far north, and you wouldn’t normally expect record-sized individuals from so far north in a taxon’s range, but there you have it.
Update, May 19: CBC News has also picked up the story; so did the Winnipeg Free Press, but that’s not available online except via subscription. If you’re wondering why the media is making such a fuss about this, just remember that Manitobans think their garter snakes are a big deal. (Guess where I’m from.)
Update, May 22: Canadian Press is running with the story; here it is in the Halifax Chronicle-Herald.
Listing the Mexican Garter as EndangeredThursday, May 11, 2006
TUCSON — The Tucson Weekly’s Tim Vanderpool recounts the sad situation of the Mexican Garter Snake in Tucson and the rest of Arizona — it has virtually disappeared from all but a few of its original habitats — and looks at the challenges in getting it listed as an endangered species. Despite its precarious position, which ought to make listing the Mexican garter a no-brainer, the USFWS is dragging its feet — on it and many other species whose listing is pending, largely because of a lack of funds. As a result, many species get listed only when a lawsuit bumps them to the head of the line — which is more expensive for the government overall, but the Justice Department, not the USFWS, picks up that tab. (We’ve previously heard about this story in January 2006, August 2005 and May 2005.)
Garter Snakes Emerge in ManitobaSunday, April 30, 2006
NARCISSE (MB) — Global National, the nightly newscast of the Global television network (Canada’s third network), has a story about the annual emergence of red-sided garter snakes from their hibernation dens in Narcisse, Manitoba, which are justly famous and a real, bona fide tourist attraction.
Garter Snakes Emerge in Northwest TerritoriesFriday, April 21, 2006
FORT SMITH (NWT) — Salt River, Northwest Territories, just outside Fort Smith, is the most northerly denning site of the Red-sided Garter Snake (Thamnophis sirtalis parietalis), and is also the furthest north you can find snakes anywhere in North America. CBC News has a story about the researchers who are studying this remote population, and on the annual snake count taking place right now.
Butler’s Garters an Obstacle to Hospital ConstructionThursday, March 9, 2006
WAUKESHA (WI) — The potential presence of the Butler’s Garter Snake, protected in Wisconsin since 1997, may threaten the construction of a new acute care hospital, the Milwaukee Journal-Sentinel reports. Butler’s garters are not known to inhabit the 40-acre parcel of land in northeastern Waukesha slated for construction, but they inhabit adjacent areas. Hospital and state wildlife officials are working on a way to protect the snakes — possibly by setting aside the river and wetlands on the site — while still allowing construction to proceed. Older news on Butler’s Garter Snakes in Wisconsin can be found here, here and here.
Mori Point Environmental Assessment ReleasedThursday, March 9, 2006
PACIFICA (CA) — The Pacifica Tribune reports that the National Parks Service has prepared an environmental assessment for Mori Point, a 110-acre parcel of land purchased by the Golden Gate National Recreational Area that provides habitat for both the California Red-legged Frog and the San Francisco Garter Snake. “The NPS is proposing actions to restore and enhance this habitat and develop a safe and sustainable trail system that improves recreational experiences and reduced impacts to park resources. The Environmental Assessment presents and analyzes one ‘no action’ and three ‘action’ alternatives.” Previous news about Mori Point.
USFWS to Review Mexican Garter SnakeWednesday, January 4, 2006
“The U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service (USFWS) announced today that the Mexican garter snake may warrant protection as an endangered species under the Endangered Species Act (ESA) and announced that they will begin a status review to be completed by September 2006,” says the Center for Biological Diversity. The Center launched a lawsuit last May to force the USFWS to list the Mexican Garter Snake as an endangered species; the agency agreed in August to consider it.
Manitoba Garter Snake Road Mortality ReducedFriday, September 16, 2005
How this Canadian Press wire story ended up in the Arizona Republic I have no idea, but garter snake mortality in Manitoba’s interlake region has dropped by 90 per cent over the past decade thanks to a dozen tunnels built under Highway 17 by Manitoba Hydro, the provincial electricity company. As a result, the local population of Red-sided Garter Snakes — famous around the world for its mass hibernation dens near Narcisse — has rebounded to its earlier levels. (Update: Picked up by The Globe and Mail, too.)
Garter Snake Found in AlaskaWednesday, September 7, 2005
HAINES (AK) — If confirmed, it represents one hell of a range extension. An eight-inch Common Garter Snake — almost certainly a juvenile — was found on the side of the road in Haines, Alaska, just south of Skagway. Garter snakes have been reported along the Alaska panhandle but never documented. It’s possible that it’s an escaped pet, but I don’t think that’s likely if it’s only eight inches (20 cm) long.
USFWS Will Consider Protecting Mexican Garter SnakeTuesday, August 23, 2005
Responding to a suit by the Center for Biological Diversity, the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service has agreed to consider protecting the Mexican Garter Snake as a threatened or protected species, the Center announced today. The USFWS will make its decision by December.
Wyoming Resident Complains About Garter Snakes in YardSunday, August 21, 2005
LARAMIE (WY) — A resident of Laramie is complaining about an “infestation” of garter snakes in his yard. According to the Laramie Boomerang, both animal-control and wildlife officials say that their policy is not to remove free-ranging wild animals unless they’re stuck in a building; the resident, on the other hand, simply wants them out of there. From the article: “‘I don’t have children, I’m just afraid of snakes,’ said [the resident]. ‘Maybe I’m a big baby, but I don’t want them around here.’” Yes you are. Some people have all the luck.
San Francisco Garter Snakes Return to SF ZooThursday, June 2, 2005
SAN FRANCISCO — Ten San Francisco Garter Snakes make their debut at the San Francisco Zoo today. Ironically, the captive-bred snakes were imported from the Netherlands; while listed as endangered in the U.S., the subspecies is frequently bred in Europe. The last San Francisco Garter Snake in a North American zoo died, at the San Francisco Zoo, in 2003; these snakes will be split between the San Francisco and San Diego zoos, and will be bred to replenish zoo stock. Update: See also the San Jose Mercury News’s coverage.
Conservation Group Sues USFWS over Garter Snake StatusTuesday, May 17, 2005
The Center for Biological Diversity is suing the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service to force it to grant endangered-species status to the Mexican Garter Snake. The Center, which announced the lawsuit today, cites disappearing riparian habitat for the disappearance of the species from many parts of its former range. The Mexican Garter Snake is already listed as endangered at the state level in both states in which it is found.
Environmental Triage for Butler’s Garters in WisconsinTuesday, May 10, 2005
In Wisconsin, where the Butler’s Garter Snake has been a threatened species since 1997, the Department of Natural Resources is adopting a new policy towards protecting the snake. Its previous policy of protecting the snake wherever it was found was proving controversial, especially with developers, and put the snake’s protected status at risk. Instead, the Milwaukee Journal Sentinel reported yesterday, the DNR is practicing a form of environmental triage where the best habitat sites will be protected; developers would have fewer hurdles to surmount on more marginal sites. The DNR hopes to find 65 suitable sites in the state to protect.
Sacramento Airport Buys 300 Acres of Giant Garter HabitatMonday, April 25, 2005
SACRAMENTO — Sacramento County Airport has been buying hundreds of acres of wetland to serve as protected habitat for the federally threatened Giant Garter Snake, the Sacramento Business Journal reports. The airport, which had been plowing dirt into wetlands illegally for years, was ordered to do so by federal wildlife officials. Buying so-called “mitigation land” is apparently common in the area, where demand for land for housing runs up against protected wildlife areas. Normally, developers buy three acres of mitigation land for every acre they develop; the airport, because they had been bad, was ordered to buy five acres for every acre they filled in, for a total of 300 acres (121.4 ha).
Narcisse Garter Snakes Out EarlyFriday, April 22, 2005
Every spring, between 40,000 and 50,000 visitors come to the Narcisse Wildlife Management Area, about an hour north of Winnipeg, Manitoba, to see Red-sided Garter Snakes emerge from hibernation. (And to see them get it on with one another — it’s mating season, after all.) But this year snake season has started several weeks earlier than usual, thanks to an early thaw, the Winnipeg Free Press reports.
Newts, Garter Snakes Engaged in Toxic Arms Race at Molecular LevelWednesday, April 6, 2005
Rough-skinned Newts (Taricha granulosa) are extremely toxic: the average newt has enough tetrodotoxin (TTX) to kill 30 human beings. But several populations of Common Garter Snake have evolved to be able to tolerate the toxins — in fact, they’re the only predators who can eat Rough-skinned Newts and survive. Molecular biologists have now documented the process by which newt toxins have forced evolutionary changes in the garter snakes that try to prey on them — an ecological arms race at the molecular level.
Highway Project Includes Ecopassages for Butler’s GartersMonday, April 4, 2005
A project to widen Highway 164 to four lanes between Pewaukee and Slinger, Wisconsin includes two “ecopassages” to allow Butler’s Garter Snakes to cross between areas where the species is known to live, as well as a bridge over a wetland area, the Lake Country Reporter reported last Thursday. Work on the controversial project was scheduled to begin today, barring an injunction sought by an environmental citizen’s group.
Sewerage District, Construction Firm Face Charges for Disturbing Butler’s Garter HabitatFriday, March 18, 2005
MILWAUKEE — In February, the Milwaukee Journal Sentinel reported that the local sewerage district and a construction firm were facing up to $1.65 million in state fines for environmental violations during a flood control project. The specific violations included, among other things, “disturbing the habitat of the Butler’s garter snake — a threatened species [in Wisconsin] — by dumping topsoil and other fill into a special ‘temporary snake release site.’” (Alternate source: the Duluth News Tribune.)
San Francisco Garter Focus of Mori Point Open HouseWednesday, September 29, 2004
PACIFICA (CA) — A public open house at Pacifica City Hall on Tuesday, Oct. 5 will provide information on upcoming wetland projects at Mori Point on behalf of the federally endangered San Francisco Garter snake, the Pacifica Tribune reports. The two projects are an inventory and monitoring program for the snake itself and the creation of seasonal wetlands to provide habitat for the amphibians on which it feeds.
Northern Ribbon Snakes Discovered in QuebecSunday, September 26, 2004
Northern Ribbon Snakes (Thamnophis sauritus septentrionalis) have been found in Quebec. They were observed for the first time in this province in 2003 — they were not known to exist here prior to that — when a population was found along the Quebec shore of the Ottawa River. Here’s a report of some subsequent observations of ribbon snakes in Quebec from this year. With pictures.
Garter Snakes Infest Illinois NeighbourhoodFriday, September 17, 2004
ROCKFORD (IL) — The Rockford Register-Star has a profile of a Rockford neighbourhood that is, according to some residents, infested with garter snakes. Some aren’t too happy about it; some have moved because of it; and some are learning to deal with it. The article contains a lot of good advice on how to discourage snakes from getting into your home — this question gets asked a lot when you do educational programs — but it generally focuses on how to get along with their harmless neighbours. As I frequently say to people who come to me with this problem, some people have all the luck.
Checkered Garter Stolen from Community FarmThursday, September 16, 2004
DUMBARTON (UK) — A metre-long checkered garter snake was stolen last week from her display at the Knowetop Farm in Dumbarton, Dunbartonshire last week. Since she was donated to the British community farm earlier this year, she had become one of the most popular exhibits. Staff are worried about her well-being and want her back.
Snakes of the United States and Canada: Natural History and Care in Captivity
A Gathering of Garter Snakes
