Look down to find what's around

Connecticut is not known to be a very "snakey" place, and there are in fact only a total of fourteen species in the whole of New England.

It just so happens all of these are found in Connecticut, though of course some are much more common than others.

Though searching for snakes may not be as common as say birding and observing other more conspicuous wildlife, it works with just a little knowledge of snake habits

This can be done in the snake’s natural habitat, the same as it can for anything else you decide to study.

 I have been seeking out snakes for what one could probably say most of my life, as for some reason they have always been my favorite animal group and are likely to remain so indefinitely. Because of this I have many "special spots" that I frequent, knowing snakes are likely to appear at any given time, these I will not disclose outright however, for the unfortunate possibility of the dishonest among us.

But if finding and observing snakes is your goal then in this state a good starting point would be power line cuts, the areas where power lines have been put up that run through stretches of woods. Other good spots include an open fairly undisturbed area that is surrounded by or on the edge of a woodland.

 These are the areas that diurnal snakes that come out into the open during normal activities and are likely to be found, particularly with some water nearby.

 Best times for this vary depending on the general season and thus the temperature and humidity. As a general rule at least for later in the year such as now when daytime temperatures can get very hot, fairly early in the morning when the sun has first come out or the late afternoon early evening when the sun is again below its peak are good times when snakes come out to get the first or last rays of the sun as they thermo regulate.

Like most animals when approached by people, snakes will quickly disappear into cover and become unobservable by us. With just a little practice and timing, however, you can learn to find snakes and not spook them, again allowing us a unique glimpse into "life in the undergrowth" as I say.

With some luck you may well observe behavior of wild snakes that few people ever have or ever will in real life.

As always it is best to keep your distance while enjoying these events (this is where a quality pair of binoculars can come in handy).

There are two species of venomous pit viper in Connecticut, only one of which is even particularly common in SOME areas and again these and other snakes can be quickly identified at a glance and from a distance with practice. Nonetheless, use the great human attributes of good judgment and common sense and I assure you they will pay off.

Remember: Leave wildlife as you find it and only experts should touch it.

As this blog progresses,  you will learn more specific guidelines concerning this type of endeavor, as well as the various snake species in question along with photos to help you along in your identification process. Stay tuned!

Life on the fence

The Eastern Fence Lizard is a small terrestrial lizard found throughout much of the mid-Atlantic region and into the Southeast states.

The animal’s name is derived from its habit of basking on raised objects, which can often include fence posts.

Being diurnal, these lizards require fairly high temperatures to be active. And when they are they can often be seen skittering about, as males defend territories and hunt for females or when the lizards are simply hunting for food, which with their high metabolisms they require a fair amount of.

Their usual diet consists of small invertebrates, particularly insects such as crickets, beetles caterpillars, etc.

If observed from a distance these lizards will often carry on their daily activities as normal, allowing people a unique glimpse into "life in the undergrowth" so to speak.

 When they sense danger, these lizards quickly dart away from the source, either using an object to climb around and shield themselves or climbing to impressive heights in the branches of trees.

The one shown here was spotted on a recent trip to the South.

What you might find under a rock...

In this video, a salamader that made its home under a piece of material comes up up for a brief visit. A handy field guide helps to identify it. Don't forget to leave nature the way you found it.

Using your tail to avoid predators

A recent trip to North Carolina

A snapshot of a snapper

The common snapping turtle is fairly well known by most people in the area that the animal is native to.

However, during most of the year it is seldom seen despite the adults growing to a rather large size, and there being hardly any body of brackish or fresh water - even in some cases salt - where there are not some snapping turtles of various ages living at any given time.

This lack if a sighting is due to the animal spending most of its time in the water.  

Even when thermo regulating, the turtles typically bask in the sun on the water’s surface rather than coming out onto surface debris as many other turtle species will do. Doing much of its hunting at night and most of it by smell, the snapping turtle is an efficient predator of various aquatic creatures and the carnivorous tendencies of the adults have been known to extend to such things as small mammals birds snakes, other turtles and more.

However scavenging on already dead and decaying carcasses as well as consuming a variety of aquatic plants as well as some fruit and acorns is equally common for this species.

  When people do encounter this species at least for any length of time is when the animals are searching out new territories or females are going to or coming from egg laying sites. This occurs most often during the late spring early summer months.

On land is when people are most likely to see how the snapping turtle got its name.

 Like most animals when approached by something much larger than itself its first reaction will be to flee and even when no water is available these turtles are efficient walkers when necessary. If cornered the turtle will defend itself violently, hissing loudly and stretching its neck towards the threat as it snaps with its sharp beak producing an audible pop.

 With this being said, these animals are best observed from a distance and allowed to go their way and then they pose no threat to humans whatsoever.