12 fun facts about Canadian snakes
Massasauga rattlesnake (Photo by Aaron Goodwin)
Whether you’re a snake savant or a citizen scientist, it’s the time of year that our slithery friends are out and about. Here are some interesting tidbits about our native snake species to share with your friends:
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Blue racer, Pelee Island, Ontario (Photo by Ron Gould/OMNR) -
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Butler’s gartersnake (Photo by Dan Mullen) -
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Common gartersnake, Manitoulin Island, Ontario (Photo by NCC) -
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Eastern foxsnake, Ontario (Photo by Ryan M. Bolton) -
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Eastern ribbonsnake (Photo by mncrowley, CC BY-NC 4.0) -
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Gray ratsnake, Ontario (Photo by Ryan M. Bolton) -
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Eastern hog-nosed snake (Photo by Ben Lowe) -
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Eastern massassauga, Ontario (Photo by Ryan M. Bolton) -
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Milksnake, Ontario (Photo by Ryan M. Bolton) -
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Northern rubber boa (Photo by Douglas J. Graham, CC BY-NC 4.0) -
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Red-bellied snake, Ontario (Photo by Ryan M. Bolton) -
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Bullsnake (Photo by arcticparrot, CC BY-NC 4.0)
- In Canada, the blue racer snake is currently only found on Pelee Island.
- The eastern hog-nosed snake plays dead when threatened by writhing around, rolling over and sticking out its tongue.
- Red-back salamanders are the northern ring-necked snake’s favourite meal.
- Though it vibrates its tail when threatened, the eastern milksnake is actually a constrictor.
- The smooth greensnake is excellent at camouflaging itself among shrubs and grasses.
- Eastern foxsnakes can both climb trees and swim.
- The common gartersnake is the most widely distributed reptile in Canada.
- The harmless eastern hog-nosed snake mimics cobras and rattlesnakes to ward off threats.
- The gray ratsnake is Canada’s largest species of snake.
- The queen snake is aquatic and non-venomous, and at maturity can reach lengths of 60-90 centimetres.
- The massasauga rattlesnake, Ontario’s only venomous snake, is shy and docile, and avoids human contact whenever possible.
- The eastern foxsnake is globally rare, existing only around the Great Lakes basin in southern Ontario, Michigan and Ohio.
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The Atlantic population of eastern ribbonsnake in Nova Scotia is separated by more than 700 km from other populations.
- The bullsnake uses communal dens and nesting sites.
- BC’s northern rubber boa is one of only two species of the boa family living outside the tropics and subtropics.
