Hi,
I live just on the other side of the river, and wrote myself a study about these situations, in pamphlet form, called "The Snakes of The Niagara Frontier." I believe that the recent dramatic decline in local Storerea populations is due to the increased use of pesticides. I see far fewer slugs these days than I did in my booming brown snake days.
The beautiful redbellies generally occur at higher elevations. I have found nearly 10 under a single board in Bliss, NY, as well as a specimen in a Vermont pond that was not known to be native to that county at the time that I discovered it. Check almost any local stream, park or vacant lot for the common, yet interesting, common garter. DeKay's can probably discovered at your local preseres or nature walks. Keep me updated on those interesting Canadian herps. Field observation is my number one interest.
Happy herping.
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DAVE
1.0 Western green toad
1.1 green treefrogs
1.0 Florida blue garter snake
1.1 Oriental fire-bellied toads
1.0 American bullfrog
0.1 Spanish ribbed newt
0.0.1 Eastern ribbon snake
1.1 red-cheeked mud turtles
0.1 Dubia day gecko
1.0 Sonoran gopher snake
0.1 rough green snakes
1.1 giant African black millipedes
1.0 Okeetee corn snake
0.1 Albino African clawed frog
1.0 Kenyan sand boa
0.0.1 Argentine flame-bellied toadlet
0.0.1 African bullfrog
1.0 yellow * Everglades rat snake intergrade
1.1 Western hognose snakes
1.2 fire salamanders
1.1 scarlet kingsnakes
0.0.1 Argentine horned frog
1.1 Southern ringneck snakes
0.0.2 Western hooknose snakes
0.0.1 Florida brown snake
0.1.1 Northern brown snakes
0.0.2 Western/ Midwestern worm snake intergrades
