Graham's Crayfish Snake

This subtly beautiful snake is the Graham's Crayfish Snake (Regina grahamii). The scientific name of grahamii, is in honor of Lieutenant Colonial James Duncan Graham,United States Topographical Engineer, who collected the type specimen. They are rather drably colored in shades of tan or brown, but there is something about them that is uncommonly beautiful. I found this one at Squaw Creek NWR about a week and a half ago basking on the road near the wetland. It was the first time I've seen this species and I was exceedingly excited to see it and get the chance to photograph it. They are normally a shy, secretive snake that is rarely encountered by humans. They are not prone to bite, but if disturbed they will musk you, which is exactly what this one did, and I didn't mind in the least. It was worth every stinky minute to hold such a rare snake in my hands. After snapping several photos I released it closer to the waters edge and away from the road.

In Missouri this species is found statewide near wetlands, sloughs, oxbow lakes, marshes and ditches that hold water. Although statewide they are uncommon in Missouri. They are specialists in their diet and feed almost exclusively on crayfish (hence the name). They prefer freshly molted crayfish which are much softer and easier to eat. There are reports of this species consuming small frogs and fish, but I believe these are uncommon occurrences.

Locality map for Graham's Crayfish Snake

The above map shows the most recent reported occurrences for the Graham's Crayfish Snakes. Each of those black dots represents an area near a wetland or marsh. 

These snakes are medium sized at around 28-30 inches in length and will be a uniform brown, gray or tan color. Their belly is cream colored with a zig-zag black stripe down both sides. There may or may not be a faint dorsal stripe present. The lateral stripe stands out and will be cream or white in color.

While you may find this species hanging out with watersnakes in the genus Nerodia, they differ from them in many ways. First and foremost their temperament. Graham's tend to be docile by nature and not prone to bite, whereas watersnakes like the Northern Watersnake (Nerodia Sipedon Sipedon) would just as soon bite you as look at you. Nerodias typically get much larger and are more readily seen. Graham's tend to hide under logs, rocks or other debris at the waters edge where they attempt to avoid being seen. During the spring and fall Graham's may be seen basking on the road like this specimen, but during the summer months it is believed they become almost entirely nocturnal.

During the winter they will often hibernate in old crayfish burrows. They will also use crayfish burrows to escape the heat of summer. These snakes are tempting to try and keep as pets as they are extremely docile and pretty, but should not be removed from the wild. They are protected in most of their range, including in Missouri. In addition to being protected they are extremely difficult to keep in captivity because of their diet. They require crayfish that have recently molted and a steady supply of them. They are reported to stress easily and develop skin lesions. These snakes are best enjoyed in their natural habitat by observing and photographing them and considering yourself lucky when you come across one. 

Northern Watersnake

Northern Watersnakes (Nerodia Sipedon Sipedon) are large native watersnakes occurring throughout Missouri.These are the most common of all the species of Nerodia found in Missouri. They are found in numerous habitats, including ponds, lakes, rivers, sloughs, wetlands, marshes and drainage ditches.

This species may be active during the day or at night and are often seen basking on logs or exposed rocks within the water. They will also climb trees overhanging the water and rest. Like most watersnakes they will feed on a wide variety of aquatic prey including fish, tadpoles, crawdads, and frogs. They will also eat birds and small mammals that wonder near the water. They slither around the waters edge hunting for potential food.

(Eating huge catfish)

At the refuge they drained a bunch of the water to create mudflats for the shorebirds. When the water poured out of the drain into the spillway numerous fish were forced out as well. As the water retreated it left behind numerous dead fish. Vultures, snapping turtles, raccoons, possums and other predators took full advantage of the free food. The watersnakes were even attracted to the odors and consumed their fair share of fish, but it would appear this particular snake is sizing up a fish that is way more than he can tackle.

Their color varies specimen to specimen, and will be banded with brown, reddish or brown-black. They may darken with age and become nearly black. When wet their pattern is much more obvious and they are actually a beautifully marked snake. They typically grow to 4 1/2 feet in length, but I've seen individuals that I know are closer to the 5 foot mark. 

Mating occurs from April to June and often results in massive amounts of snakes congregating in one location. Large females emit a pheromone to attract the smaller males. Several males will approach a female and entwine their body around her. They will jerk spasmodically to stimulate her into breeding. Aggressive, stronger males will win the right to mate and many males may mate with a single female.

(Large mating ball in a drainage pipe at Squaw Creek NWR)

I have been making numerous trips to Squaw Creek NWR since May 4, 2012 when I discovered that the Northern Watersnakes were mating. There have been literally dozens of these snakes all over a spillway at the refuge. I was so excited to witness such a phenomena playing out for me to see. I was back up there this morning (May 21) and they were still there attracting mates. In about 3 to 5 months they will give live birth to as many as 30 offspring. 

(Juvenile Northern Watersnake)

These snakes are often mistaken for Cottonmouths and needlessly killed out of fear. While they are very feisty and aggressive they are harmless. Many people erroneously believe that you can ID a venomous snake based on the shape of the head. Not all venomous snakes have triangular shaped heads, and many non-venomous snakes do. It is not an accurate why to tell a venomous snake from a non-venomous. Just look at the definite diamond-shaped head on this Northern Watersnake, which is another reason it is often mistaken for the cottonmouth.

 I've had them come at me as if to chase me, and stood my ground and they slithered around me to escape. They would prefer to avoid confrontation and go out of their way to escape the presence of humans. If you decide to grab one you will most likely earn a bite for your trouble, or at the very least it will musk you. Musking is extremely nasty and smells horrible. It is a mixture of feces and a musk they produce that is guaranteed to earn the snake some distance and safety from being bothered or eaten by a predator who can smell the terrible odor. Although stinky, they are still preyed upon by raccoons, foxes, coyotes, snapping turtles, opossums and aerial predators like hawks.

A young friend of mine went to the refuge with me the other day and decided to try his hand at catching one of these ornery snakes. He chose a large female and soon discovered how fast and feisty they truly are. It struck at him numerous times and narrowly missed nipping his nose at one point. I admire his fearless nature and love of these animals though.

These snakes are often encountered by people while camping, kayaking, canoeing and fishing. Many are killed and discarded because of their aggressive nature and their similar appearance to the venomous cottonmouth. I would ask that we restrain ourselves and tolerate the presence of these snakes as being an important part of the aquatic habitats they occur in. They perform a service in the form of consuming dead, decaying or sick fish. They will only bite if handled. If you leave them alone they will surely leave you alone. 

Belated Save The Frogs Day Special!

This year Save the Frogs Day fell on April 28. It is something that has been celebrated by wildlife conservationists from all over the globe with over 180 events being organized in 38 countries (spanning into 5 continents!). Yesterday I celebrated by going into the city, that's right the city, to look for amphibians and hopefully catch glimpse of some toads if it is not too chilly out. Unfortunately, I did not see any herps at all, most likely due to the fact that it was a steady 52 degrees out and completely overcast. A couple of weeks ago I had slightly better luck and at least saw some frogs. Now a city is generally not the place one would expect to look for toads but just inside the city of Philadelphia, around where I live, there are several habitat areas where one can find the American toad (Bufo Americanus), the green frog (Rana clamitans, the Northern leopard frog (Rana pipiens) and the bullfrog (Rana catesbeiana) as well as a treasure trove of other reptiles and amphibians and a whole cast of other animal species. One of the largest areas for such habitat is a place called the Schuylkill Center for Environmental Education, a private wildlife preserve in Roxborough just inside the city itself that is dedicated to exactly what its title suggests. I traveled to the Schuylkill Center to participate in the annual "Toad Walk" that they do every year in mid April. Although we did not manage to see any toads we did see some frogs and other pond life!

There was also some remains of human settlements from the past as well, preserved as historical landmarks.

The ground pictured here is normally at least muddy and when summer comes along it's a decent sized pond. Here it is dry as a bone. The tour guide, a woman named Gin, said that she had never seen anything like it in her years working there. To learn more about the Schuylkill Center just visit them by clicking the link! They have plenty of great programs to educate kids and adults alike about the nature that can be found in PA. http://www.schuylkillcenter.org/

Bullsnake, Mouth Rot and a Listing

This beautiful patterned snake is the increasingly rare Bullsnake (Pituophis catenifer sayi). In years past this snake was quite common and most every farmer boasted of having a resident bullsnake controlling rodents in their barns or bins.

Last Friday, March 30, 2012 I received a phone call from one of our agents, Jason. He had paid a call on one of the residents of the county he patrols. This man had in his possession a large bullsnake. Jason wanted to know if I would like to have the bullsnake to use as an exhibit snake for a period of time. I was thrilled by the prospect and told him "yes, I would definitely like to see the snake and keep it for awhile." The man who found the snake agreed that when we were done with the snake he would re-release the snake back on his property. I knew Dr. Mills our local herpetologist had been on the look-out for this species and had not found one in the entire 14 years he has lived in this area, other than one found on the road dead. I could hardly wait to let him know we had a bona fide bullsnake coming into out office, and not just any bullsnake, but a LARGE one.

That afternoon our herpetology class was planning a field trip to Squaw Creek NWR, so I told Dr. Mills I would bring the bullsnake along so the students could see it. He was anxious to see it and show it off the the class. We all met at 2:30, and as expected the students were impressed with this large snake. When it first came into the office it hissed loudly and rattled its tail, trying very much to sound like a rattlesnake. We could not get it to repeat the defensive behavior they are famous for in front of the students, perhaps he suddenly felt shy?

Dr. Mills took the snake out of its enclosure and showed off his unique snake wrangling abilities.

He gently places the snake between his legs and slowly feeds the snake towards the front of his legs as he feels for the head. When he feels the head he grips it firmly but gently to keep it from biting. A snake as large bodied as a bullsnake can and will give a painful bite. This particular snake however calmed down almost immediately once in hand and did not offer to bite or act aggressive. We were able measure his length, but did not have time to take further measurements before we were confronted with the wildlife biologist and the Massassauga he had captured and wanted to show the class.

 

Dr. Mills telling the class about the bullsnake.

Students assisting Dr. Mills in measuring the bullsnake, he has a SVL of 171 cm (nearly 5.5 feet)

The bullsnake behaving very calmly as it is being handled. 

Bullsnakes are the largest snake found in Missouri and may reach lengths up to eight feet, with 6 to 7 feet being common.They range in color from yellow, tan to white with approximately 41 dark brown or black blotches. Most of the specimens I've seen in previous years have been yellowish with brown blotches. They occur in traditional prairie habitats  throughout most of Missouri.

In the past 15 years their numbers have drastically fallen and they are becoming difficult to find. Joey and I raised hogs from 1990 until 2000. We had a couple of bullsnakes that hung around near the farrowing house, in large part because of the rats and mice that were there. With all the grain we had around to  feed the hogs, we had no shortage of rodents. These bullsnakes soon learned that an easy meal could be had and they stayed pretty close to the building. When we got out of the hog business, the snakes left  and I have not seen one since. In fact, I have not seen a bullsnake at all anywhere, and I am out looking for snakes all the time. Dr. Mills moved to St. Joseph in 1998 and said he found a bullsnake dead on the road and that has been the only specimen he has seen in all these years. So, to say he and I were excited about this bullsnake that suddenly came into our possession would be an understatement.

Bullsnakes are famous for their large size and the hissing sound they make when disturbed. They puff their body up to look bigger and then let loose with a hiss that will make you take a step back and reevaluate the situation. Do you want to get closer? Is this thing venomous? Will it hurt me? It is doing what Mother Nature designed it to do, mimic a rattlesnake. It will even shake its tail in leaf litter or dry grasses to carry the ruse further. Truthfully this species is harmless, however if you grab one it may earn you a bite. When I was in high school I remember one of my classmates was putting up hay and got bitten by a large bullsnake. He ignored the bite and continued to work in the hay. The superficial mound he received became infected from sweat, dirt, hay and the bacteria from the snakes mouth keeping the wound dirty. He spent some time in the hospital seriously ill from infection. Had he taken a few minutes to wash the bite and wrap it, this most likely would have turned out different for him. A snakes mouth carries bacteria from the things it is feeding on. Anytime you are bitten by a snake, it requires attention. If it is a venomous bite, seek medical help IMMEDIATELY! If it is non-venomous take a few minutes to clean the bite and wrap it. Putting an antibacterial topical ointment like neosporin is a good idea as well.  Better safe than sorry.

Several days after acquiring the snake, myself and several others noticed it was holding its mouth funny, it was slightly agape and he was drooling. Snakes don't drool, Bulldogs do! I contacted Dr. Mills and explained my observations and he said he thought it sounded like Mouth Rot. I had never heard of such a thing, and did some research. I soon discovered this can be quite serious and may even kill the snake. I contacted several local vets, and none knew anything about it or how to treat it. A friend of mine from Squaw Creek NWR suggested a vet named Dr. Roy Wilson from Mound City. He and his wife run Rafter Cross Veterinarian Care. I called him and he knew how to treat it. I took the snake to him and after looking him over, he determined it was indeed mouth rot.

 (Photo By: Carrie Wilson)

 He weighed him (4 pounds) and gave him an antibiotic shot. He sent me home with four more doses of antibiotics to administer and then wanted to see him in a week.

 

 (Photo By: Carrie Wilson)

Eight days later and 3 more shots later I returned to Dr. Wilson with our patient. He said he thought the mouth looked some better, it at least had better color. The snake however developed thrush (A type of yeast infection of the mouth) brought on by the antibiotic shots. Dr. Wilson cleaned a bunch of dead tissue out of the snakes mouth, gave him another antibiotic shot and an additional shot of an anti-inflammatory. He then tube fed him an electrolyte cocktail. He also applied an athletes foot/jock itch ointment to the mouth to help with the thrush. I will continue to give him another round of antibiotics and apply the ointment for another week then return to the vet in ten days. Hopefully this poor snake will be well on the road to recovery. I will try to feed him a small mouse tomorrow to see if he has any interest in eating. The sooner he eats the better and faster he will heal.

I contacted the man who found the snake and told him this snake could not be returned to him to be released on his farm. Once we began administering antibiotics we have no way of knowing how long those antibiotics will remain in the system of the snake. Dr. Wilson said in good conscience he could not recommend releasing it. If a predator such as a owl, eagle or hawk were to try and feed on this snake and in turn consume the antibiotics we don't know what the affects would be on them. The gentleman was fine with that and was happy for us to give it a home. This snake (should it survive) will be used as an ambassador of his kind in education.

I spoke to our state herpetologist and was told by him that there is a very good chance that this species will be listed as threatened in the state of Missouri as early as next year. This is a decision I support whole-heartedly, as do many of us in the herping/conservation community. We recognize the rarity of this species and know that protecting it may bring it back from the brink of extinction in Missouri. To have this snake extirpated from our state would be sad indeed. With humans encroaching on the habitats of the snakes in their desire for more strip malls, housing additions, agricultural ground and various other human related construction/destruction the snakes are finding it more and more difficult to hold on to what little remains of their natural habitats.

I will update later and keep everyone posted about this snakes progress.

Claxton and Sweetwater: A Comparison

Well, against tremendous odds, I made it to Claxton. How I actually got there is a long story filled with empty promises, broken dreams and last minute betrayals and is an insane story all in of itself. One day, it may be told but there is no reason to right now, there are more important matters to discuss, such as the Rattlesnake Roundups in Texas and Georgia. These three were known to be among of the bloodiest spectacles to take place in the Deep South in the name of “family entertainment” and it was this year that they were changed forever.




The towns of Sweetwater, Texas and Claxton, Georgia: those are what we are going to be looking at for our purposes today. We have plenty of footage from both.

Sweetwater has become gravely paranoid in response to new negative publicity and the declaration of Danny Mendez that he would personally attend with photographer and biology student, Sky Stevens, in order to document the cruelty displayed there. Danny describes the act of decapitation in one of the videos perfectly on his weekly radio show “Urban Jungles Radio” at about 23 minutes into the program. Unfortunately, before Danny and Sky were able to enter the roundup they were stopped by the Sheriff and several deputies. They were then issued a criminal citation and told that they could not come back to the roundup or attend any of the other local Jaycees events.

Danny and Sky's invitation to leave

And here is the link to the show itself:

Sweetwater Roundup---Holocaust on Rattlesnakes


What Sweetwater did not count on were other people with cell phones and video cameras, ones that did not necessarily support their gory festival, getting in and documenting what went on. Ray Autry, who is a concerned wildlife enthusiast and noted member of the group Rise Against Rattlesnake Roundups, managed to gain entry and film some of the more gruesome events of the roundup. The links will take you to the radio broadcast and the videos.

Public Video---Sweetwater Rattlesnake Roundup

Video #2

Video #3

Meanwhile, I managed to get to Claxton, which garnered a good deal of publicity for their change from a rattlesnake roundup to a wildlife festival that teaches children about the importance of nature and the place that snakes, including rattlesnakes, have in the ecosystem. Here are some pictures and videos of what happened on the weekend of the 10th and 11th of March.

Instead of capturing wild rattlesnakes as the vast majority of the roundups do (even the no-kill roundups), the newly christened Claxton Rattlesnake and Wildlife Festival borrowed snakes from wildlife rescues and private collection. Throughout events leading up to the roundup I had a chance to discuss the matter with one of the rescuers that volunteered use of his snakes so that the reformation could be successful. Jason Clarke of Southeaster Reptile Rescue willingly let his snakes be used as part of the show, provided that they were not used in any of the demonstration shows or handled anymore than necessary. Although some rattlesnakes were used for demonstration none were permanently harmed and, as far as I could tell, these shows did not last very long at all. I only arrived in time to see the closing of the second to last “snake show” where some of the rattlesnakes were handled (but not Mr. Clarke’s); the final show after that used no snakes other than a kingsnake that was simply held for show. Here are some videos and photos from Claxton, I will let the readers decide how well these snakes were treated but please keep in mind that just one year ago every snake seen here would be slaughtered for the sake of the weekend festivities.

Claxton, GA Wildlife Festival

Claxton, GA Wildlife Festival Video #2

Claxton, GA Wildlife Festival Video #3
Although I was unable to actually meet with Jason Clarke in person I did keep an eye on his animals to the best of my abilities and when I called him after returning home to Pennsylvania he confirmed that every one of his snakes made it home no worse for the wear. Talking with several of the vendors and groundskeepers at Georgia confirmed that the numbers either matched or beat those of the previous years. Overall I would say that the new festival was a huge success in converting the slaughter of thousands of wild animals to celebrating their existence and acknowledging their place in nature. Sweetwater could learn a valuable lesson from this.

Bob Irwin weighs in

Humans Can Be Bizzare, Too by: David Steen Ph. D.

There never seems to be much of a shortage of articles or blogs about how some animals are truly bizarre, weird, or otherwise outrageous. These discussions never resonated with me. Animals have incredible and diverse strategies, behaviors, shapes, and sizes that allow them to persist and thrive in their environment. It would never occur to me to think of these animals as weird.


No, for the truly strange, we must look inward. How weird is it that humans hold annual celebrations in which the main focus is rounding up and killing animals for entertainment? How bizarre is it that this is socially acceptable and encouraged?


These thoughts occurred to me recently as I was reading a number of newspaper articles promoting, excuse me, reporting on the events associated with the Sweetwater, Texas Rattlesnake Roundup. How else can we explain why skinning a recently decapitated and still-squirming animal is considered, "laugh-inducing"? Is it really that much fun to cut up an animal, feel it's still-beating heart, and then slap your bloody handprints on the wall? If so, I have to admit that I have been looking for entertainment in entirely the wrong places. I think it's much more interesting if the snake's heart is beating when the skin is still on.


I wrote last week about how the organizers of the Sweetwater Rattlesnake Roundup raised their rattlesnake bounty this year in hopes of gathering more snakes. It didn't work. As this press-release, excuse me, newspaper article, notes in relation to a rattlesnake-eating contest, it was once again a below-average year. Whether the roundup organizers are correct in attributing low rattlesnake densities to weather patterns, there seems to be no arguing the fact that there have been less rattlesnakes crawling around Texas lately. I guess this means people should
try harder to round up what's left? After all, those bloody handprints on the wall aren't going to get slapped on themselves.


Now that is what I consider bizarre.

David A. Steen received his Ph.D. from Auburn University, his B.S. from the State University of New York-College of Environmental Science and Forestry, and his B.S. from the University of New Hampshire. He researches the ecology and conservation biology of wildlife and blogs about his work at www.LivingAlongsideWildlife.com. His copyrighted work appears here under a Creative Commons license.

Why we Shouldn't Litter

Few things in this World get me as riled as littering. Not only is it unsightly, but it often has detrimental consequences on wildlife. Tonight my daughter was coming in the backdoor and yelled for me to "come quick!" I hurried to see what the problem was and she had found a black snake with a piece of plastic PVC pipe wrapped around its midsection. There as no possible way this snake would have survived had my daughter not found it and we had not been given the opportunity to rescue it.

I picked the snake up and immediately it musked and bit me. Which is exactly the type of behavior one can expect from a snake that has been snatched up by a giant. You can see the blood on my finger. It is nothing more than a superficial scratch.

The snake is probably 3 to 4 years of age and measures nearly 2 feet in length. The piece of pipe had grown into its skin and my fear was that it was so embedded that we would not be able to remove it without causing further damage.

We decided to try and saw the pipe off. My husband helped me, and it took about 20 minutes to finally free the snake of its PVC entrapment. I need you to understand something too, my husband does not like snakes and I really think he secretly fears them. He bucked up and helped me save this snake when he saw the condition it was in and how important it was to me. He really came through for me and for this snake in need.  The wound that was exposed did not look too severe so I made the decision to release it in a safe place in the yard.

I hope this snake heals and goes on to lead a productive snakey life. 

 

Littering is an ongoing problem faced by wildlife on a daily basis. We as humans often discard our trash without a second thought. We wrongly assume that someone else will take care of it. We throw trash out of our car windows, simply because we don't want our cars littered with trash. For some reason we prefer it laying along the highways, roadways, walking trails and other natural areas. Why can we not take the trash home with us and dispose of it properly? Why can we not pull into the nearest gas station and dispose of it in the trash bin? Do we really need to throw it out for all the World to see? I don't know about you but there is nothing I hate worse than hiking a beautiful trail, only to have it disturbed by fast food packages, pop or beer cans, bottles, plastic bags, etc. 

There are many stories that abound of animals that have been in similar situations including the one here Common Snapper trapped by six pack ring 

In Missouri we have an ambassador of trash by the name of Peanut. Peanut's story can be read here Peanut the Turtle

If you plan to be outside this spring, summer and fall, if you pack it in, please remember to pack it out. Our wildlife will thank you.