Nature Photography (Formally Spring is in the Air)

[Doug Watson]

Doug watson you love reptile too ? 

Yes, I do especially snakes, monitors and members of the alligator and crocodile family. As I have mentioned in the pet thread I would probably keep a Tiger Rat Snake as a pet if it wasn't for the fear my wife and daughter have. So, the wild ones act as surrogate pets.

[Doug Watson]

Looks like I may just find a black rat snake yet!
http://bhb-reptiles.myshopify.com/collections/rat-snakes/products/black-ratsnake

$20 for a cute little guy like that! I wonder if my wife would be up to some hypnotism to help her get over her fear? Naw.

[Gwangi]

Some tundra swans out on the lake. Taken today!

Wow! I have never seen those in the wild. What lake is that? I just checked out their migration flyway and after leaving you they skirt the lower end of Lake Ontario and spread out north from there, totally missing me.
It's funny we now have Snowy Egrets summering in the Montreal to Cornwall area. I saw some for the first time outside of the Southern USA in the spring at a beaver pond near my home. They were on their way to their summer nesting grounds in the north. It was almost like seeing an alligator up here.

They were on Cayuga Lake, one of the Finger Lakes below Lake Ontario. We live within the Atlantic flyway migration route so we get a lot of bird interesting bird activity around here. North of Cayuga lake is a giant marsh designated as the Montezuma Wildlife Refuge which is particular great for waterfowl and other bird. I have pictures from there further back in the thread. Still haven't seen any snowy egrets, but there are great egrets around which are impressive to see.

$20 for a cute little guy like that! I wonder if my wife would be up to some hypnotism to help her get over her fear? Naw.

Maybe a cute baby snake would do the trick? I know, converting people isn't easy.

[Doug Watson]

Still haven't seen any snowy egrets, but there are great egrets around which are impressive to see.

Actually you are correct they were Great Egrets, I must have had the weather on my mind when I said Snowy. They were a single pair and it was back in 2009, I haven't seen them since but they only stayed a couple days on their trip so easy to miss.

[Gwangi]

I have a great egret picture a couple pages back but it's from a long way off. At least with yours you got a good picture of it to remember it by!

I can certainly see why snow is on your mind. Having a snow day here in NY.

[stargatedalek]

Sadly the only egret I've ever found here was dead and washed ashore, real shame as they are very beautiful.

[Doug Watson]

Here is part two of my local snakes. This is the second largest snake in our region (but not all of Canada) the Northern Water Snake (Nerodia sipedon) It can get to be just north of 4 feet long but has a very thick heavy body. As the name suggests they are great swimmers and will just have their head breaking the surface as they skim along and will completely submerge to hunt or escape. By contrast when the Black Rat Snake swims it sits high in the water. At Murphy's Point they are common all along the shoreline especially at beaver lodges where it's nothing to find 6 of them amongst the branches. Like all the snakes in my region it is nonvenomous but can give a lacerating bite. I have been bit once and luckily it was only a 2 footer but it still bled like crazy.

This one was very well behaved.


The business end poking out from a beaver lodge.


Another close up.


They come in a variety of colour variations from this light brown with reddish banding to dark black.


This one is on the grey side, hanging out in a beaver lodge.


This is a baby. Man I wanted to take him home but it is against the law to remove wildlife from a provincial park.


Making babies. You can see there are two big females in there, the rest are smaller males.


This is a big one over 4 feet long and looks like it had a meal.


Same big snake but if you look close you can see my reflection in its eye sitting in my old red kayak.


I nice lighter variation basking on a beaver lodge.

[Gwangi]

Beautiful snakes and photography. Water snakes are fairly abundant around here and I've seen my share. Unfortunately the more ignorant folks around here all think they're cottonmouths aka water moccasins which is non-sense of course, they don't live this far north.

I think you'll appreciate this video. I must say, that's one hell of a woman!
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3PGLKTSqoMQ

[Takama]

Well I was walking along the river bank one time and I almost stepped on a large brown snake.

We do get garder snakes in our back yard as well. Last one we had had my dog barking like crazy while the snake was in a defensive curl.   The only thing I was proud of was the fact it was non venomous.

[Doug Watson]

I think you'll appreciate this video. I must say, that's one hell of a woman!

What a woman indeed! I was amazed just how she scampers over those jagged rocks in bare feet, she feels no pain.

The water snakes up here get persecuted as well  for no good reason. Just look at the title "Girl getting bitten by "aggressive" water snakes" Who was the aggressor there? I have found big ones killed for no reason plus I once found a baby tied up in a baggie floating under a dock. I was able to free it but someone thought that was funny. I have saved several from panicking swimmers at beaches. Almost every time some hero comes rushing in with a rock to kill it.

[Doug Watson]

Well I was walking along the river bank one time and I almost stepped on a large brown snake.

We do get garder snakes in our back yard as well. Last one we had had my dog barking like crazy while the snake was in a defensive curl.   The only thing I was proud of was the fact it was non venomous.

I bet your dog never got too close they seem to be instinctive about it. When my Caiman was 3 feet long I used to take it out in the back yard to stretch its legs. My dog would always stay just out of striking range especially when Alice hissed.

[Gwangi]

Well I was walking along the river bank one time and I almost stepped on a large brown snake.

We do get garder snakes in our back yard as well. Last one we had had my dog barking like crazy while the snake was in a defensive curl.   The only thing I was proud of was the fact it was non venomous.

Actually, recent research shows that garter snakes are indeed mildly venomous, emphasis on the world mildly. It's certainly not dangerous to humans and only serves to stun their prey.

The water snakes up here get persecuted as well  for no good reason. Just look at the title "Girl getting bitten by "aggressive" water snakes" Who was the aggressor there? I have found big ones killed for no reason plus I once found a baby tied up in a baggie floating under a dock. I was able to free it but someone thought that was funny. I have saved several from panicking swimmers at beaches. Almost every time some hero comes rushing in with a rock to kill it.

Yeah, the title to the video is off putting. It's clear these snakes (and really all snakes) are just being defensive. That said I think it is clear that this woman has a passion for snakes that I'll never match and I'm quite impressed! Anyway, I could go one about the awful things people do to snakes but I don't think I want to go that route, would rather just talk about them with other enthusiasts. I could go on all day about the irrational fears of humans and persecution of snakes (and spiders, sharks, wolves, etc.). Just reading your stories up there make my blood boil!

[Takama]

Well I was walking along the river bank one time and I almost stepped on a large brown snake.

We do get garder snakes in our back yard as well. Last one we had had my dog barking like crazy while the snake was in a defensive curl.   The only thing I was proud of was the fact it was non venomous.

Actually, recent research shows that garter snakes are indeed mildly venomous, emphasis on the world mildly. It's certainly not dangerous to humans and only serves to stun their prey.

Yikes, and i thoght i was the one in most danger when i nearly steeped on that Brown snake at the River (seriously, I jumped when i seen it because i thought it was a moccasin)

[triceratops83]

It'd be great to have cute little snakes like that. Here, the majority are deadly, and the harmless ones like the Green Tree Snake use a skunk like defence mechanism. Pythons are about the only snakes you can pick up, but even then you've gotta be careful.

[Gwangi]

It'd be great to have cute little snakes like that. Here, the majority are deadly, and the harmless ones like the Green Tree Snake use a skunk like defence mechanism. Pythons are about the only snakes you can pick up, but even then you've gotta be careful.

The skunk-like defense mechanism is common among snakes. Even my own pet snakes do it on occasion. It stinks awful (as Doug will attest) but I guess I've gotten a little used to it.

[triceratops83]

The water snakes up here get persecuted as well  for no good reason. Just look at the title "Girl getting bitten by "aggressive" water snakes" Who was the aggressor there? I have found big ones killed for no reason plus I once found a baby tied up in a baggie floating under a dock. I was able to free it but someone thought that was funny. I have saved several from panicking swimmers at beaches. Almost every time some hero comes rushing in with a rock to kill it.

People are atrocious when it comes to snakes. Most of the local snakes around here chiefly eat rodents, and I can't think of a greater service. Also I detest the ignorance people show, for example the harmless Green Tree Snake is often called the "deadly" Yellow Bellied Black Snake, and usually killed. You will often hear Aussie "geniuses" telling stories of being chased by the timid and in my experience, placid Taipan, when the only excessively aggressive snake commonly encountered is the Eastern Brown Snake. I quite often catch harmless snakes around my home and transport them elsewhere or I know other members of my family will kill them.

[tyrantqueen]

Here in the UK we have only three kinds of snake: adder, smooth snake and grass snake.

I like snakes but I hate seeing them harassed by people. I believe they should just be left alone. If you pick one up and get bitten then you deserve it in my opinion.

[Doug Watson]

Well, I have never blamed the snake when I have been bitten, I just feel blessed to spend a short amount of time with them and then put them back where I found them.

This will be my 3rd and last instalment of my local snakes. I may post some turtles and then stop until I get some new shots this spring, I don't want to monopolize the thread. Starting last year I have really been on a mission to find all the species I used to see in my youth if for no other reason just to prove they are still here. I am still looking for the Smooth Green Snake, Ring Necked Snake and the Eastern Milk Snake I haven't seen those in probably 40 years. Anyway here are the two I have seen the Eastern or Common Garter Snake and the Red Bellied snake. Our Garter Snake can reach 54 inches but lately the ones I have been seeing are around 3 feet and less. I had read about the discovery of venom in Garter Snakes but like Gwangi says it is harmless to anything larger than their prey. It is interesting to find out they are rear fanged, I used to keep them when I was a kid and had success breeding them. They make great pets since they will readily take raw fish. The Red Bellied Snake is a truly gentle snake other than striking a bluff strike pose they refuse to even attempt to bite when handled. They can reach 16 inches.

This is a young Garter Snake around two feet long found near my home.


This is a slightly larger one found in the same location.


Another small one found at Murphy's Point


This is around a 3 footer that was at the boat launch at Murphy's Point. It had just caught a Green Frog but unfortunately got it by the foot. I watched it for a while and it was having trouble getting the frog down. The preferred spot to grab a frog this size is the head since the second leg forms a barrier. I have seen frogs get away when the snake gives up its hold to reposition it. In this case I left before seeing the outcome.


This is a Red Bellied Snake found near my home.


This gives the Red Bellied snake its name

[Doug Watson]

That said I think it is clear that this woman has a passion for snakes that I'll never match and I'm quite impressed!

Passion is right! I just counted the number of bites that you actually see in the video and I get 9 which is about 5 more than I believe I have had in my entire life. I think I can remember one bite each from a Garter snake, a Milk Snake, a Smooth Green and the latest a Water Snake over a stretch of around 50 years. Wow!

[Doug Watson]

Yikes, and i thoght i was the one in most danger when i nearly steeped on that Brown snake at the River (seriously, I jumped when i seen it because i thought it was a moccasin)

Unless you were out of State Takama, Iowa doesn't get the Moccasin. You do get Copperheads and Rattlesnakes however.