At the lower terminus of the Boardwalk in Explore the Wild I noticed a small snake (perhaps 18 inches at best) coiled in the smartweed that grows there. The snake’s head stuck out of the water, ready to pounce, its tongue flashing out to smell the air. There were also many minnows splashing about the shallow water. Some of the fish were in large groups feeding, a feeding frenzy. Others were in small groups swimming in and out of theRead more
Posts tagged: #Northern Water Snake
Just Add Heat!
All it took was a bit of warm sunshine and all of the critters came crawling out of the mud and from under logs, rocks and the leaf litter. The amphibians and reptiles made the news this week with new arrivals and increased numbers of previously seen species. Although I’d seen several Brown Snakes earlier in the season, the snake in the photo was the first one I’ve seen alive and making its way across the path here at the Museum.Read more
Just a nice picture
The water snake above was first seen in the willow on Wednesday (3/21). It was still there at closing on Saturday (3/24).Read more
Water Snakes and the Snake Wrangler
Yesterday (3/21/12) brought out the first water snakes of the season here at the Museum, three of them! If the snake above doesn’t look familiar to you perhaps this will refresh your memory. And lastly, garter snakes have been active all winter, as discussed in a previous post, so it’s no surprise that one was seen in Catch the Wind on Tuesday March 20 by Bungee Operator/Snake Wrangler Ryne. The snake was patrolling the U-shaped pond next to Take OffRead more
Speaking of howling…and snakes
To the delight of a group of children visiting the Museum Wednesday the Red Wolves got into a howling match with a fire engine (11/9). At times, sirens set the wolves off but it has to be the right frequency and distance from the Museum for it to work, not every siren works for them. Snakes are still being seen, due in part to the warm weather we’ve been experiencing the past several days. An Eastern Garter Snake surprised aRead more
A Snake’s Tale
The snake in the photos is Big Red, or at least that’s what I call it. It’s a Northern Water Snake and it resides in our Wetlands here at the Museum. Since September 16 when the mercury (or alcohol) took a thirty degree nose dive on the temperature scale and I first noticed this snake heading for higher and presumably warmer ground, I’ve seen it make the crossing of the pavement several more times, in both directions. I’ve also seenRead more
A flurry of activity
It’s 58 degrees outside, about thirty degrees cooler than yesterday. It was bright and sunny yesterday, complete cloud cover today. But, along with the cold front, clouds and drizzle came some birds and a surprise herp. Nothing overwhelming, but a flurry of activity, just enough to keep the casual birder and herper happy. For the birder, I saw 6 species of warbler this morning including Common Yellowthroat, Prairie Warbler, Black & White Warbler, Magnolia Warbler, Chestnut-sided Warbler, American Redstart, andRead more
The Wants and Needs of a Snake
Alerted by a chaparone from one of the many school groups present that day (May 4) that a snake was swimming along the banks of the Wetlands, I saw Big Momma, a large female Northern Water Snake, swim by just a few feet off the shore. Moments later the snake had a frog in her jaws. The grip was a tenuous one as only the frog’s foot was in the snake’s mouth. Oddly, the frog didn’t struggle as much asRead more
A Few Migrants and a Snake Reappears
If you know what the bird in the photo is, good for you! It’s a migrant. I only see this species over the Museum in the spring and fall, and there’s usually only ONE that I do see each season. They typically circle the Wetlands once or twice and move on. It’s an Osprey. On Saturday (4/2/11) I saw the first swallow of the season, a Northern Rough-winged Swallow. There have been many other swallow sightings in our area, butRead more