northeast-flora-and-fauna

This post shows 2 different snakes slithering around a drained pool at Bamboo Brook. This is the exact same drained pool I talked about in a recent post . It's possible the Northern Watersnake in that post is the same 1 in this post [1] [2], though the bands seem quite a bit more pronounced in this post's Northern Watersnake [3]. This is my 1st picture of this Eastern Garter Snake though; I didn't see 1 of those earlier in the day. I have to admit that I was a little concerned for the safety of the Eastern Garter Snake. Snakes will eat snakes, and the Eastern Garter Snake was clearly a smaller snake. But when they crossed paths, they really didn't pay much attention to 1 another, sort of like commuters in a subway. Garter snakes and watersnakes are relatives, and both are good swimmers, give birth to live young, and are common in New Jersey. May 8, 2023 at Bamboo Brook Photo 282305418, (c) jpviolette, some rights reserved (CC BY-NC) May 8, 2023 at Bamboo Brook Photo 2...

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 ...

Here's an Eastern Garter Snake I met last March. March is a funny time of year in that some of the days can be pretty cold while other days can get fairly warm. This was the 1st snake picture I got this year. Given our snakes brumate over the winter, they're probably pretty eager to take advantage of warm days to get out there and forage. (Unfortunately I didn't think to bring a salamander for it to eat.) My recollection is that this guy was basking on the paved path until I came along and (as usual) terrified it into slithering into branches and leaf litter. March 22, 2023 at the Raritan River Greenway Photo 269153773, (c) jpviolette, some rights reserved (CC BY-NC)

For at least a couple years Duke Farms has had educational meadow posters that talk about the Eastern Milksnake . While I've had to confess to passersby that I've never seen one at Duke Farms, I've now seen them elsewhere in the county: at Washington Valley Park. (I always mention that it's hard to know everything that's going on in the middle of a meadow.) This snake is pretty distinctive with its brownish-red blotches outlined in black, though the "Y" or "V" pattern on the back of the head is also a good field mark. Unlike our 2 most common (AFAIK) snakes - the Eastern Garter Snake and the Northern Watersnake - the Eastern Milksnake is oviparous (egg-laying). They generally hatch in the autumn at around 4 inches in length, but if they live long enough they can get a little over 4 feet long. The one in my pictures was pretty small and so must have been 1-2 years old. The Eastern Milksnake constricts its prey to subdue it, a little like a very...

Here's an Eastern Garter Snake I encountered in May. Though it's possible to see quite a few Northern Watersnakes if you live near water, the Eastern Garter Snake is probably the most encountered snake in New Jersey, Connecticut, and probably most of the northeast. They get their name from garters , bands used primarily to hold up socks/stockings, presumably by someone who thought these striped snakes resembled some striped garters they saw/owned. Though I thought the term Garter Snake referred to a single species, it appears that both the Common Garter Snake (of which the Eastern Garter Snake is a subspecies) and the very similar looking Ribbon Snake are both snakes in my area that are in the genus that comprises the Garter Snakes. This video says that I've got a Common Garter Snake rather than a Ribbon Snake because of stripes under the mouth in my snake. Another good video for Garter Snake fans is here . Although you should consider Garter Snakes to be harmless, th...