Eastern Garter Snake

In warmer weather when I go to the Sourland Mountain Preserve I'll usually look around for frogs and (as recent posts demonstrate) toads around a small pond located near the parking lot. I'm always hoping to get a picture of these amphibian friends of ours. Here's someone else that's looking for frogs and toads but for more dietary reasons, an Eastern Garter Snake. Eastern Garter Snakes have familial ties to our Northern Watersnakes (including this one from the same pond); apparently some garter snake and watersnake species have been reclassified as the other [1].

Both species are pretty comfortable in the water [2]. It not only provides them with a fairly good way to escape terrestrial threats, but also has the allure of nearby amphibians to eat. Similar to Northern Watersnakes, they'll also participate in mating balls. They'll also crowd together over the winter when brumating. Although there are warmth, moisture, and safety reasons to do this, it's at least possible they like each other's company.

This snake had been innocently sunning itself, and although I tried to be discreet, it eventually hid in some dense shrubbery. 

April 14, 2023 at Sourland Mountain Preserve
Photo 272131061, (c) jpviolette, some rights reserved (CC BY-NC)

[1] In my area, adult garter snakes and watersnakes tend to look fairly different from one another, so despite the family ties they're unlikely to be confused.

[2] My recollection is that at least once an Eastern Garter Snake escaped my photography attempt by hiding underwater.

Comments

Post a Comment

Popular posts from this blog

Tussock Moth Herd

Image
Some caterpillars are usually seen in large numbers (like Armyworm Moth caterpillars and Eastern Tent Caterpillars ), while most are more solitary. The Milkweed Tussock Moth caterpillars (more about them are here ) seem to be slightly social. I'll sometimes see them alone, but more often I'll see them in groups of 2-9 members. In the 1st picture below, you can see there is a clear size difference in some of these individuals. I'm almost certain the little one in the middle is in an earlier instar than the others (though they lack the colorful tufts of fuzz in their earliest instars). August 31, 2021 at Washington Valley Park Photo 167477945, (c) jpviolette, some rights reserved (CC BY-NC) In the picture below, it's clear that these caterpillars don't require a lot of personal space. August 31, 2021 at Washington Valley Park Photo 167477979, (c) jpviolette, some rights reserved (CC BY-NC)
Read more

Copper Underwing Caterpillar

Image
I believe this caterpillar to be a Copper Underwing [1]. At least the coloring and the dorsal hump (near the left end of the caterpillar) seem consistent with the Copper Underwing. These caterpillars are not what you'd consider picky eaters; my Caterpillars of Eastern North America describes their diet thusly: Many wooded plants including apple, basswood, blueberry, cherry chestnut, current, grape, greenbrier, hawthorn, hickory, lilac, maple, oak, poplar, raspberry, rhododendron, viburnum, Virginia creeper, and walnut. Wikipedia adds: Ash, privet, honeysuckle, rose, and service trees. That's a pretty wide range of trees and shrubs. One of the challenges of finding them is that they could be almost anywhere; the other challenges are: Their green coloring blends in pretty darned well with the average leaf. They have a habit of feeding underneath leaves, so they're probably not visible when looking down at their location. They have a tendency to move from leaf-to-leaf; if you
Read more

Eastern Pondhawks

Image
I'm going to try something different today with my Eastern Pondhawk pictures. I'm going to let ChatGPT do my blog today. (ChatGPT is an AI program that you can converse with in a pretty human way; an explanation of it is here .) Me:  Can you tell me something interesting about the Eastern Pondhawk? ChatGPT:  The Eastern Pondhawk (Erythemis simplicicollis) is a dragonfly species that is native to North America. It is a medium-sized dragonfly, with a wingspan of about 3 inches, and can be found in a variety of habitats, including wetlands, marshes, and ponds. One interesting characteristic of the Eastern Pondhawk is its mating behavior. Male Eastern Pondhawks are known for their territorial behavior and will defend their territory from other males. They will patrol their territory and will try to mate with any females that fly into their territory. Another interesting fact about the Eastern Pondhawk is that it is a fast flyer and is able to hover in midair. It is also an import
Read more