Hi!
I've decided to post some stories and some pics of Northern ribbon snakes (Thamnophis sauritus septentrionalis) I've caught this summer. Note that this species was observed the first time in Québec in 2003* (near the Ottawa river). One specimen was found DOR on August 12 in 2003 and a young one was caught the next day while it was crossing a gravel road.
This summer I found a nice specimen (the third reported in QC!
on June 9. I found it near a pond and it tried to escaped into the water. Here is the pic:
A couple of days later, a coworker saw one hunting American toad taldpoles in a drying water hole in a sand pit. Another one was caught by another coworker in couple of weeks later. Those 3 specimens were caught in the same area.
On August 11 we were 25 km west of the only reported location. We were looking for painted turtles to take some genetic samples. In that particular pond, there was two big beaver huts with a lot of Northern water snakes (Nerodia s. sipedon) basking on the top of them or hiding in branches. We were in canoe looking for turtles. Than I spotted a "strange Garter snake" on the top of one of the beaver hut and the more we approch the more I was convinced it was a Northern ribbon snake! I jumped on the hut and clearly identified it but the snake managed to espace throw the branches into the beaver hut. I was pretty discouraged because I would need a specimen or a pic to prove that range extansion of that "new snake". Than, I noticed a shed skin on the hut. There was my proof
We returned a couple of hours later and I caught the snake one the same hut. It was in the water at the edge of the hut. It was a female and we kept it 2 weeks to count how many babies would come out. She gave birth to 4 ones. Here are a pic of the adult and a pic of one of her babies:
On August 14 a coworker and I decided to investigated the wood and the shore of that same pond. We found a lot of herps. We were espacially looking for other Northern ribbons. While a was walking near the shore, I saw one but I was enable to caught it, too fast!! I continue to look for the snake and about 15 min later I saw it in the water. I was able to caught it. This one was a male. My boss kept it and it will be sent to the Canadian Museum of Nature as a specimen to prove that new location.
The next morning, a the same pond, a coworker caught one the same beaver hut. It was an adult female. We walk to the edge of the pond in the afternoon and we caught 3 juveniles. Here are some pics:
My post is pretty long but it wanted to share those stories and pics with other field herpers. I can't really explain it because my English isn't that good, but it's a very cool feeling to make some of the first records in a province and to make some range extansions... Anyway, thanks for reading
* See DESROCHES, J.F. & R. LAPARÉ. "Premières mentions de la couleuvre mince (Thamnophis sauritus septentrionalis) au Québec" Canadien Field-Naturalist. (In press)
Northern Ribbon Snakes in QC
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