Snakes and Dead Creek Day
Herpers, this is the time of year to find snakes on the roads when you are out walking, biking, or driving (slowly). Snakes are now mowing from foraging areas to denning areas on warm sunny fall days and that means many of them will need to be crossing roads. The heat and sun exposure on the road surface often seduces them into basking on the road edge. As you would expect, many of them get hit.
If you come upon healthy snakes please do help move them or encourage them to get off the roads. If they already have been hit or killed, they are still a valuable record. Please take a photo and send it to us. We want to hear about any snake other than a Common Gartersnake. If you don’t know what kind of snake it is, take the photo anyway and we will figure it out.
I am giving a presentation on The Snakes and Lizards of Western Vermont at the Dead Creek Wildlife Festival in Addison on Saturday, October 5 at 1 PM. There are many other presentations and walks there that you may be interested in. Check out their events online at https://vtfishandwildlife.com/
You might also notice that the Sally Laughlin Endangered Species Award will be presented at noon. I have been told that I am the one receiving that award. I would love to see you there for that short presentation as well.
Happy herping!
Jim
