Reptile & Amphibian Forums

An iced-over beaver marsh

Hey, what's that black thing over there?

Answer: Northern Water Snake

Just chillin' like Bob Dylan

It was moving very s-l-o-w-l-y

Eventually it found a hole in the bank of the marsh and disappeared

Who says herping season is over?
Third Eye Herp

Very nice! sipedon is a tough beast. Minton's Indiana herp book states that sipedon have been observed every month of the year. Your photos attest to that.
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2 tham radix
1 Chicago Tham s. semifasciatus
2 elaphe vulpina
1 gray tiger salamander
4 Aphonopelma hentzi
1 G rosea
1 Haplo minax
1 Brachy angustum
1 Brachy sabulosum
1 Brachy vagans
1 Cent. hentzi scorp

WOW Tim! What a treat! It reminds me of one time sledding when I was about 10 years old on Christmas brake, I walked by one rock poking out of the snow & there was a few plains garters basking in the sun.

Dan Eby

That is insane and you are insane for seeing it! It's weird that stray individuals are the most common snake in winter when the main population doesn't emerge until April. I saw one on April 30 still caked with dirt, and the most reliable ones that come to the same spot every year were gone the first week of November, even under metal.

That's wild! What were the temps that day?

reako45

It was unseasonably warm the day before, in the mid to upper 50s. On that day it was probably in the upper 40s or low 50s. My guess is that the thaw flooded the snake out from where it was hibernating...or maybe it was just checking things out to see if Winter is over.

Tim