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!