Jeff Green | Jul 31, 2008
Outdoors - July 31, 2008
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Outdoors in the LandO'Lakes - July 31, 2008 Great Big Snakes of the Land O’Lakes Outdoors in the Land O'Lakes by Steve Blight
Black Ratsnake at Bobs Lake(photo by Steve Blight)
A
couple of weeks ago I had the good fortune of spotting a fine looking
specimen of Canada’s largest snake, formerly known as the Black
Ratsnake. It was coiled up on the deck of our cottage on Bobs
Lake, and looked up at me sleepily when I arrived. It watched me
with seeming indifference as I took its picture and followed my
progress as I brought a couple of loads into the cottage for the
weekend. It then decided it had better things to do and slithered
away into the bush.While this snake is relatively common in
large parts of the United States, it can be found in only two places in
Canada. Both of these areas are in Ontario – the Frontenac Axis
south of highway 7, and the area around Long Point, on the north shore
of Lake Erie south of London. The Frontenac Axis subspecies has
been designated as “threatened” under the federal Species at Risk Act,
whereas the southern Ontario subspecies is classified as “endangered”.The
name sported by this big but harmless reptile has been quite confusing
over the years. Originally known as the Black Ratsnake, a few
years ago it was renamed the Eastern Ratsnake and appears to have been
renamed again as the Grey Ratsnake. Recent genetic work has led
scientists to conclude that the two Ontario populations are slightly
different from each other, and while they are currently classified as
two different populations of the same species, at some point in the
future they may be split into two distinct species. This may mean
yet another name change! But until they make up their minds, I am
going to continue to use the older Black Ratsnake name – I like it, and
people are familiar with it.The Black Ratsnake can become
really large – up to 8 feet long from end to end, and five-footers are
not uncommon. Males tend to be a bit larger than females, and
both can live up to 25 years. Several years ago my wife and I saw
one that was about 7 feet long and about 2.5 inches thick at it
thickest part. This fellow was by far the largest snake I have
ever seen in the wild. Adults are typically black with lighter
colouration on the skin between the scales. The underside is
normally white or yellowish with a darker pattern, often resulting in a
checkerboard appearance. Black Ratsnakes can generally be
distinguished from other snakes by their throat, which is plain white
or cream colour. Young snakes are patterned with dark grey or
brown blotches on a pale grey background.On the Frontenac Axis,
Black Ratsnakes seem to prefer a mosaic of forest and open habitat
(e.g. fields and bedrock outcrops). In winter, they hibernate
below ground in communal dens called hibernacula that provide shelter
from both freezing temperatures and dehydration. In summer,
individuals seek shelter in standing dead trees, hollow logs and rock
crevices to avoid high temperatures and predators. Females nest
in decaying matter inside standing dead trees, stumps, logs and compost
piles where conditions are warm and humid. They feed primarily on
rodents and birds, and can quickly suffocate their small prey by
constricting it within the tight coils of their bodies.The
Frontenac Axis population is estimated at between 25,000 and 85,000
adults, and is believed to be declining over time. The main
threats include habitat loss related to land development for homes and
cottages, road deaths and deliberate killing by people. To help
protect this iconic species, there are several easy things we can all
do:Avoid running them over as they sun themselves on warm
roads in cooler weather. Every year, usually in the fall, I stop
my vehicle (carefully) and chase a couple of these snakes off the road.Protect
their habitat by avoiding the urge to “clean-up” forested property.
Leave standing dead trees and lots of large woody debris (e.g. fallen
logs and large branches) on the ground in forests.Don’t –
please! – whack them with shovels or any other large household
tool. They really are harmless – unless of course you try to pick
one up, because they can deliver a slightly painful (but not poisonous)
bite as they try to defend themselves.With a bit of effort
and some luck, Land O’Lakers may get to appreciate these large,
handsome creatures for many generations to come.Please
feel free to report any observations to to Steve Blight at This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it. or Lorraine Julien at
This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.
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