The warmth of July is upon us, and what better way to celebrate than to look at a wild neighbour who also loves sunbathing and taking dips in the water as a summer pastime. Hands down, the only difference between us and them is that…well actually that…no hands. Yes, I’m talking about the wonderful wandering garter snakes that are frequently found in the foothills. These neighbours sometimes get a bad rap because they are so unusual, how can you trust a neighbour who can’t shake on it? Perhaps if we ‘slide’ some facts your way, however, we can persuade you of their benefits.
Wandering garter snakes are distinguished from the other two garter snake species in Alberta because of the brownish green scales that they sport and the lack of red coloration. Their camouflaged scales mean that the best time to see them is when they are doing something called basking. This is when they find a nice open area with lots of sunlight and stretch themselves out to warm up; these areas are usually rocky or south facing surfaces or roads. The basking behaviour is due to the snakes being ectotherms (cold-blooded animals). Humans are endotherms, which means we use the food we eat to create heat in addition to helping us grow. In contrast, ectotherms like snakes regulate their body temperature using outside sources such as radiation from the sun to warm up or a nice dip in a river to cool themselves off. This means that a wandering garter snake eats much less often than we do, sometimes as infrequently as once a week.
Their love of swimming helps the wandering garter snake catch some of their prey like leeches and tadpoles. The rest of their diet consists of anything they can catch, including small mammals, insects like grasshoppers, slugs, and worms. If you love gardening then you really ought to find a way to attract a garter snake into your flower patch to keep out your unwanted pests. They certainly would not tread on any of your plants in the process. If you already have a snake living in your yard, consider this a healthy indicator that you are practicing wildlife friendly gardening.
Limbs are not the only things that the wandering garter snakes are missing. They also lack eyelids, instead having a clear scale over top of each eye which functions like a pair of swimming goggles. Like all true snakes, they also lack external ears. Instead they rely on their detached lower jaw to pick up on the vibrations around them. If they sense big vibrations, these shy creatures will slither to safety in a den or in the long grass or rivers.
If you are lucky enough to glimpse theses fascinating and ancient creatures then give them a round of applause for keeping our pests under control. They certainly can’t pat themselves on the back. And please drive carefully on the roads keeping your eyes open for basking snakes.
Laura Griffin
