McMaster University recognizes that the University and surrounding Hamilton area, including their nature spaces, are situated on traditional territories shared between the Haudenosaunee confederacy and Anishnaabe nations. These lands are protected by the Dish with One Spoon Wampum belt. The wampum uses the symbolism of a dish to represent the territory, and one spoon to represent that the people are to share the resources of the land and only take what they need.
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Nature @ McMaster

Snake Surveying

From May to September, Nature@McMaster staff and volunteers conduct weekly surveys to monitor snake populations at two sites on McMaster property. 

Nature@McMaster conducts snake surveys in line with Ontario Nature’s long-term monitoring protocol (link), which aims to understand trends in snake populations over a ten-year period. The LTMP is building off of results from the Ontario Reptile and Amphibian Atlas to fill gaps in our understanding of these cryptic species.

Snakes are an important part of ecosystems in the region: they prey on ticks and keep populations of rodents, slugs, and other insects under control. As well, snakes are a food source for animals like foxes, raccoons, and hawks. 

 

Snakes Found at Survey Sites

Of Ontario’s 17 different species and subspecies of snakes, four are found at Nature@McMaster survey sites. The red-bellied snake, however, has only been sighted a couple of times. Most commonly found are the Eastern garter snake, DeKay’s brownsnake, and Eastern milksnake.

Eastern Garter Snake

The eastern garter snake, Thamnophis sirtalis, is a non-venomous snake found across North America. Its population is stable and not at risk. Garter snakes like a variety of habitats, but prefer moist, grassy areas. Although characterized by three yellow stripes that run down the length of their bodies, garter snakes can be quite varied in appearance–sometimes with electric blue or red accents.

Photo: Eastern Garter Snake, by Jonathan Scholtens

DeKay's Brownsnake

The DeKay’s brownsnake, Storeria dekayi, is a small snake that is typically no more than a foot long. They can be found in wetland regions, as well as in forested or even urban areas. The brownsnakes often hibernate in large numbers, finding space in crevices or rodent burrows underground. When threatened, a DeKay’s brownsnake will release a smelly discharge, or musk.

 

Photo: DeKay’s Brownsnake, by Jonathan Scholtens

Eastern Milksnake

Whilst it is technically not a species at risk, the eastern milksnake, Lampropeltis triangulum, is threatened by poaching, accidental killings, and urbanization. Eastern milksnakes need a 50-70 day incubation period where temperatures are consistently around 24° celsius–which means that shorter Canadian summers potentially limit reproductive success. 

Photo: Eastern Milksnake, by Jonathan Scholtens

How Snake Surveying Works

The Transect

Snakes, being cold-blooded, rely on external sources for heat. As such, the strategy behind snake surveys is to set up a line (transect) of boards of plywood which retain heat during cooler parts of the day. The warm boards are a great place for snakes to hang out under–and therefore, our surveyors can flip up the boards and analyze the snakes that lay beneath them. 

 

Data Collected

During our surveys there are three main pieces of information that we document. 

  1. Snake type 
  2. Whether the snakes are adults or juveniles (size cutoff)
  3. The size of the snake 
  4. The sex of the snake