Friend Or Foe; What Do You See?

Everyone has a snake story.

If you saw this rather large snake sunning in a pile of leaves would you grab a hoe and chop it to bits or look on with a sense of wonder?

Meet the water snake. (Not venomous, but not a wimpy snake. Read on.)

According to Connecticut DEP, these reptiles are “widespread in Connecticut, flourishing in and near human-altered water bodies, including reservoirs and farm ponds. They are also found along streams and rivers, as well as wooded swamps and vernal pools. The only limiting factor to their distribution appears to be elevation. . . . many are killed each year in the mistaken belief that they are venomous.”

According to Yale Peabody Museum‘s online guide to reptiles and amphibians, the snake is “locally called the water moccasin and erroneously believed to be venomous. The species is not venomous, but will defend itself vigorously when cornered or captured. Defense may include defecation, spraying musk, biting repeatedly, and vomiting, but no venom. The species is generally very cautious and to avoid conflict will usually enter water on the approach of a human.”

Huh. Growing up in a neighborhood on the cusp of country (yet at the edge of suburbia), a joy of my own childhood included stories about snakes, real and imagined. The darned things were reportedly seen near springs, swimming in ponds, and “almost stepped on” while on hikes near trap rock ridges. They were always “real big.”

(I actually never did see a live snake in the wild until living in rural Florida. The cottonmouth snakes encountered while out riding the range were rather aggressive towards interlopers in their backwoods swamplands. They called for respect and got it.)

If you have a youngster in your life who loves the natural world and/or animals, consider visiting an open house at a vo-ag center. Listen to students talk about what they are learning or wander around to see opportunities in agricultural education.

During a pretty wonderful childhood in a noisy household with freedom to roam the farms and pastures and woods nearby (with dogs, rabbits, cats, a sheep, and an occasional pony or lost Holstein wandering in the yard), I lived with a passion for daily natural wonders. Anyone who has had the fortune to live in the country knows the sound of spring peepers and feel of frog jelly that turns into wriggling tadpoles. By carefully lifting stones there are salamanders of every hue and coloration patterns to see. There’s a reason that skunk cabbage is called by that name. And one memorable pretty white wildflower that had a tender stem, clasped by a single leaf – to my horror it bled red when I picked it. (Later, the flower was easy to identify by using a guidebook – it was bloodroot, an early springtime flower, native to Connecticut.)

Back to the snake. Seeing the critter was a chance encounter when my dog accidently “pointed” it out as he marked a telephone pole (thanks Indy!) The sight jolted my senses; I thought “it’s a copperhead, a timber rattler.” Then, edging closer half in fear, more in curiosity, glad I carry a camera, taking pictures.

After a trip home to upload the images and to try to truly identify the snake (have sent it off for positive ID), a return to the site was in order – with company this time. Sure enough, there the big snake, coiled and enjoying the sun and warmth near a rushing stream.

That was a few years ago. Though I often walk the same area, another sighting of the snake was not to be.

Point is, nowadays maybe prowling the swamps and fields is not such a common activity for most small fry. What a pity. There’s so much still to see (before all the land is engulfed by yards and fencing) while out walking the landscape.

The annual Middletown Regional Agriculture and Technology Center Open House theme is “Agriculture It’s More Than You Think” at the Vocational Agriculture Center at 200 LaRosa Lane in Middletown. Animals, greenhouses, hands-on demonstrations and activities all highlight the key curriculum areas of plant science, animal science, agricultural mechanics, and natural resources on Wednesday, April 7, 9 a.m. to 2 p.m. or 5 to 8 p.m.

Free and open to the public. (The daytime program is geared towards preschoolers and elementary age children; the evening session is for the general public.). For more information or to reserve a time for a group to attend, call (860) 704-4599.

For identification images see (or Google an image search) for Northern water snake or search “diamondback water snake.” Compare species to copperheads at the wonderful Virginia Herpetological Society site.

For salamanders, consult the wonderfully comprehensive Yale Peabody online directory for images and variations, habitats and life cycle information. The one depicted here, a spotted salamander, was a real gift to see in Killingworth, Connecticut.