Another snake

[Clampet]

I lived on a deserted island fer awhile, and I dispatched 5 of those water snakes with a machete over a period of 4 months.

[camillj]

Water snake ... for sure ... very common and extremely aggressive .... not venomous but will shake you up as they wont back down from a chance to chase and bite you especially near waters edge ... you can normally distract them with a fishing rod and rapala

[danbo]

Sure would make a purdy hatband. Just skin it, scrape it down with the edge of a tablespoon, Staple-gun it to a board, rub Borax on it & let it dry.

[Dabluz]

Those water snakes can grow to 4 feet long.

[Carp]

Fished/camped in a remote area of eastern Georgian Bay years back.

The place was infested with these water snakes.

Got to the point where we were being chased away from the boats.

Had to throw fish scraps to distract them. They picked ' em up from the bottom on the lake & swam away. Venemous or not, these snakes were way too agressive for my liking.

 

Paddled the boat through a shallow, narrow channel between islands.

One large snake swam towards the boat, right under us & onto shore on the opposite side.

I spotted the head coming out from under the boat & quickly looked to the other side, where I

saw the tail still waiting to be pulled under. With the width of the boat as a guide, I estimated the length to be at least seven feet. Although, all the others we saw were around 2 to 4 feet long. Also one bold bass bear who decided to swim across a channel to our island camp because he liked the smell of our lunch. Middle of a hot, sunny summer day. These animals/reptiles had absolutely no fear. Probably never encountered humans before.

 

Once as young teens fishing off the dock in the Moon River Basin, we encountered one of these

water snakes hiding under us. As we pulled out panfish, the snake would grab the fish and not let go until we yanked it up & down a few times over the water. This went on for half an hour before the snake finally got tired and swam away. We're lucky these things aren't poisonous.

Probably the most agressive creatures I've encountered in Ontario, ....well, except for a few cougars cruising for a mate.

[Cudz]

Fished/camped in a remote area of eastern Georgian Bay years back.

The place was infested with these water snakes.

Got to the point where we were being chased away from the boats.

Had to throw fish scraps to distract them. They picked ' em up from the bottom on the lake & swam away. Venemous or not, these snakes were way too agressive for my liking.

 

Paddled the boat through a shallow, narrow channel between islands.

One large snake swam towards the boat, right under us & onto shore on the opposite side.

I spotted the head coming out from under the boat & quickly looked to the other side, where I

saw the tail still waiting to be pulled under. With the width of the boat as a guide, I estimated the length to be at least seven feet. Although, all the others we saw were around 2 to 4 feet long. Also one bold bass bear who decided to swim across a channel to our island camp because he liked the smell of our lunch. Middle of a hot, sunny summer day. These animals/reptiles had absolutely no fear. Probably never encountered humans before.

 

Once as young teens fishing off the dock in the Moon River Basin, we encountered one of these

water snakes hiding under us. As we pulled out panfish, the snake would grab the fish and not let go until we yanked it up & down a few times over the water. This went on for half an hour before the snake finally got tired and swam away. We're lucky these things aren't poisonous.

Probably the most agressive creatures I've encountered in Ontario, ....well, except for a few cougars cruising for a mate.

 

LOL at the cougar.

Once I was cornered by somthing worse than a cougar. It was a sabertooth. Very similar to a cougar but actually was a cougar's mother. She was probably 58-63 years old. Those are scary. It was at a wedding.

[jughead]

It's a northern water snake. They have a brownish pattern on their back in a diamond shape when they are younger, as they mature if fades so the snake appears all black or dark grey.

 

They can be aggressive if they feel they are cornered but for the most part they cruise along the shoreline looking for frogs. We have a few at the cottage every year that roam our bay.

 

The only time we have had any problems was a couple of years ago when my daughter decided to make the snake go away by smacking it with a swimming noodle. As it turns out, Northern water Snakes don't much care for that type of behaviour. They will attack but usually only to defend themselves and as soon as they have an opportunioty to get away the will take it.

 

Went to take the cover off my boat last year and found one curled up inside which scared the bejeezus out of me for a minute or twenty.

 

No Black rat snakes at my place this year but did help a neighbour relocate one this spring that had set up under his cottage. About 7 feet long and quite thick. Into the pillow case for a short boat ride and happily released.

Edited July 31, 2008 by jughead

[BillsTheBassMan]

We had a visit from this fellow when we rented a Cottage at Sparrow Lake:

 

 

The locals informed us that it was a rattle snake, and that if we were lucky enough to get bit, we'd have to travel to bracebridge. At which point they said "ahhhhh, he's just a little guy." I'm sure he was, as he was the furthest thing from aggressive.

 

Yours does not seem to be venemous. I see snakes that look like that a lot up in the Wiarton area.

[danbo]

Better teach your children the differences!

[kennyman]

I just got back a few days from Charleston Lake Provincial Park where the black rat snake is there most famous resident. They have one they even show. According to the guides they are virtually harmless. One was following kids in the water at the beach. Basically came over, checked them out and was on his way. The kids followed etc., but there was no problem. Apperently the black rat snakes have a rattle as a defence mechanism to mimic the Massassuaga, but are a non venomous constrictor. There was one under the pop machine and all the kids would be checking it out everytime we went by. Didn't seem too dangerous to me and it was a good size. Actually my daughter said it was "cute". Mind you I wouldn't want to be squirrel in this guys tree. Anyway here's an article from Ontario Parks. Harmless - but becoming homeless

 

Canada's largest snake lives only in two distinct regions of Ontario - the Carolinian Forest region, running across the north shore of Lake Erie in southwestern Ontario, and the Frontenac Axis region in southeastern Ontario. The black rat snakes in these areas are at the periphery of the species' range, with those in the Frontenac Axis being at the very northern edge.

 

From their range in the eastern United States, they moved northward with the retreating glaciers. This means that for about 7,000 years they have made these areas of Ontario their home.

 

Historical records indicate that prior to European settlement, black rat snakes lived throughout much of the Carolinian forest region. Over the past 200 years, the Carolinian forest cover has been reduced to patches, most of which measure less than three hectares. The black rat snake population in this area has been fragmented along with the forest. These snakes now live as a handful of small, isolated groups.

 

The Frontenac Axis snakes are confined to an area of approximately 5,000 square kilometres. This area includes a small bit of New York State, into which the axis extends. The next nearest group of snakes is 120 kilometres to the south, near Syracuse, New York.

 

Black rat snake populations in Ontario are isolated from each other and from other populations in the United States. Since they have no way of intermingling with the black rat snakes farther south, they are particularly vulnerable to the pressures of continued loss and alteration of habitat.

 

Habitat loss and fragmentation have reduced their geographic distribution in Ontario by an estimated 75 percent. Most of the reduction has occurred in the Carolinian region, but there is also evidence of significant range contraction in the Frontenac Axis region.

 

The increase in the number of roads through black rat snake habitat, and the ever-increasing traffic, spell bad news for black rat snakes. They don't reach sexual maturity until they are 9 or 10 years old. If individuals are to contribute to their population, they not only have to avoid natural predators for a decade, but must also avoid becoming roadkill and being killed or collected by humans.

 

In 1998, the black rat snake was designated a "threatened" species in Canada. This designation

means they are likely to become endangered in this country if the factors affecting their vulnerability are not reversed. If their 7,000-year legacy in Canada is to continue, we must dig down to the very old - and twisted - roots of the human/snake relationship.

 

 

Let's not let them silently slip away

 

The situation facing Ontario black rat snakes is strikingly similar to that facing wildlife worldwide. More and more species are being confined to fragmented remnants of their former range; habitat alteration is the leading problem facing all vertebrate groups.

 

About one in four vertebrate species is limited to small and localized populations, is declining steeply in numbers, or is threatened with extinction. Most biologists believe that we are presently in the middle of one of the great mass extinctions of geologic history. But whereas all of the others were caused by natural phenomena, this one is unique in being brought about by one species: homo sapiens. The dubious distinction is ours.

 

We still have time to avert the collapse of our living world. The only way to prevent the big picture of mass extinction is to treat each little picture - like black rat snakes in Canada - as vitally important.

 

Live and let slither

Sharing habitat with black rat snakes

 

Some of us are permanent residents in black rat snake habitat; some of us are seasonal; and some of us may just pass through. Here is a list of things we can do to actively share habitat with black rat snakes.

 

 

Consider supporting or volunteering for black rat snake projects at provincial or national parks, such as the "Adopt a Snake" programs run by the Friends of Murphys Point and Friends of Charleston Lake Provincial Parks.

Reduce driving speed and increase observational skills during spring and fall when black rat snakes are most likely to be basking on roads. At other times of the year, black rat snakes may be crossing the road just to get to the other side. Be mindful!

Leave dead or hollow trees on property for basking, shedding and egg-laying sites. They are also beneficial to other wildlife.

Leave downed trees and woody debris with rotten cavities because of their importance as egg-laying sites.

Start a compost pile for a potential egg-laying site. Don't turn it in July and August, or eggs may be crushed.

Leave known hibernacula and the surrounding area undisturbed.

Create small brush piles on property. These can serve as places where snakes can escape predators and find prey.

Perhaps most importantly, let the snakes be!

Recovery Initiatives

 

In 1999, the Ministry of Natural Resources (MNR) assembled the Black Rat Snake Recovery Team. It consists of a dedicated group of experts from MNR, Ontario Parks, Parks Canada, and

Environment Canada - as well as academic researchers from the United States and Canada, and non-government representatives.

 

Their overall goal is to ensure that black rat snakes remain a healthy component of Canadian biodiversity. To this end, they have developed a recovery strategy and are implementing an action plan. They have set separate medium-term goals for the two population regions. For the Frontenac Axis, the aim is to retain current distribution and connectivity among populations, with no decrease in numbers. For the Carolinian region, they aim to achieve self-sustaining populations, with no further decrease in numbers. They also aim to restore connectivity, or gene flow, among the currently isolated populations.

 

The recovery team will attempt to coordinate with existing landscape conservation initiatives such as the Algonquin to Adirondacks (A2A) project and Carolinian Canada's "Big Picture Project."

 

Excerpted from the booklet, The Black Rat Snake, Live & Let Slither, Ontario Ministry of Natural Resources, 2001.

 

Project supervisor: Chris Burns, Ontario Ministry of Natural Resources

Written by Leslie Work

Project co-ordination and graphic design: Gareth Lind, Lind Design

Illustrations by Nick Craine

Scientific editors: Gabriel Blouin-Demers and Shaun Thompson

Photographs by Gabriel Blouin-Demers and courtesy of Charleston Lake

Provincial Park and the Ontario Ministry of Natural Resources

Thanks to Rob McAleer, Lithosphere Press

Thanks to the Friends of Charleston Lake Provincial Park and the Lanark

County Stewardship Council for their assistance in funding this project.

[Guest Johnny Bass]

Definitely a water snake. There are tons of them around Georgian bay coastlines. They are seen usually just sunning themselves out in the sun. Most likely after having consumed a meal.

 

But I have had encounters with some aggressive ones!! I once saw a snake swimming in the water. I threw a rock to try to scare it but it came right for me. And was really sneaky about it too, trying to crawl up from the side of the shoreline. I tried to smash a rock on it, but somehow it was still alive! The second time I got him with a bigger rock and almost split him in half! I went to go investigate it and the thing lunged at me! It was like Jason! It wouldn't die!! Then I grabbed a stick and put it throw his mouth and it was dead. That day I had a very ominous unsettling feeling, unlike i have ever felt before, even up to this day......

 

As far as RAF's posts? There are tons of Rattlesnakes near Killbear provincial park. I think the government actually has a program that breeds them up there. They apparently have a rodent infestation and the best way they felt to deal with it is to give them a natural enemy. I think it is not so smart, breeding them in an area that has a provincial park and a lot of kids running around.....