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HomeMy WebLinkAboutGoderich Signal Star, 2011-08-17, Page 21Saganai-Star • Wednesday, August 17 2011 itland River's Royal Reptile: the queen snake Rare species indicator Katie Duncan of healthy Maitland habitat While the first thing that Nature Conservancy of Canada may run through your mind u ' on hearin someone scream, "Snake!" might be that. you're in danger, you might also find it Interesting to know that many of the rep- tiles themselves, such as Ontario's f ueen snake, are www.westcoastblues.ca 6thWA„ „o, UESFESW O`�` HURNTASTE1w0F; CELEBRAiTION c Rsw LABOUR r AY4 WEEKEN.P (,) TOWN EODERICH he Main Event ST COAST awls in partnership with TS OP HURON is thrid to present three emotional touring & recording artists... Wild T & The Spirit Shakura S'Aida Johnny Max Band SAT SAT., NIGHT, SEPT. 3 Z5 VaIk-A-Bout Blues Ick by popular demand .. . 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In Ontario, the Nature Conservancy of Canada (NCC) iscurrently monitoring a queen snake population in the Lower Maitland River Valley near Goderich thanks to funding from a private founda- tion and from the. Government of Ontario's Species at Risk Stewardship Fund. The first expert survey of the sum- mer, conducted by biologists from NCC, two local conservation authorities, the Ministry of Natural Resources and Ontario Nature in late July, uncovered several queensnakes, an exciting and unexpected result. "Based on many years of work with queen snakes, I've observed many sites with small populations and (had] limited success during surveys," said Scott Gill ingwater, a speciesat risk biologist for Upper Thames River Conservation Authority. "However, the site we visited appeared to have an abundance of good habitat, an abundance of crayfish, and appeared mostly free of human influence" Snakes have garnered a bad reputa- tion all over the world, including here in Ontario; While the province's snake spe- cies are generally less frightening than snakes found elsewhere, most queen snake included - are still persecuted and are having a hard time keeping a steady presence in the areas where they still live. The queen snake has made Canada's "species at risk" lists for a good reason: its known habitats are being encroached upon by our own expanding develop- ment. As the areas for queen snake homes slowly narrow in size, so do the populations of these slithering gems. Looking at a map of Ontario, recorded locations of possible queen snake popu- lations are few and far between. Accord- ing to the Ontario Species at Risk Regis- try, this is because the snakeis limited to areas that have suitable water and rock cover as well as an abundant supply of ctayfish, the queen snake's food of choice. "A recently moulted crayfish has to shed its hard outer shell in order to grow bigger," notes Tricia Stinnissen, a Shell Conservation intern with the NCC. "There is a very short window where the soft-shelled; crayfish has not yet had time to develop its hard, protective armour. The queen snake will hunt and eat the crayfish at this time because it's much easier to eat a soft shell." Find that a bit off-putting? Perhaps knowing that the queen snake's pres- ence in a habitat usually means the area is flourishing will win it back some points. 'Finding the queen snake is an indica- tion that the river and its shoreline are still healthy," says Cara Copeland, an Assistant Conservation Biologist with NCC. "Queen snake is a species native to Ontario so protecting it helps the overall goal of conserving the province's plant and wildlife diversity" The real trick though is knowing when you've spotted one. "If you see a slender, olive -brown snake with a striped yellow underbelly, you've just spotted a queen snake," Copeland says. "T!is reptile spends a lot of time in the water, but rocks and plants along the shore also provide important habitat." The stewardship fund will help NCC assess the queen snake population in the Lower Maitland River Valley through surveys, inventories and monitoring of not only the Queen Snake, but also its main source of food: the crayfish. Finding one of these elusive snakes, whether you're a fan of them or not, is an important step in protecting the species, and that's where the public comes in. "If you :find .a queen snake, tell some- one!" Stinnissen urges. "Organizations like NCC and the Ontario Reptile and Amphibian Atlas rely on the general public to report all species at risk sightings." If you come across a queen snake there a few important things you should make note of, including when you saw it and where. If you happento have GPS coordinates, all the better. Be prepared to describe the habitat and surrounding area and, if you can, snap a quick photo. All sightings can be reported directly to the province's Natural Heritage Informa- tion Centre at http://nhie.mnr..gov. on.ca. For more information about the Lower Maitland River Valley and NCC's conser- vation work across Ontario, visit www. natureconservancy.ca/imrv. 12 p.m to 1:3O p m. • TASTY BLUES CAFE 2 p.m to 5:30 p.m. $10 00 food tent pass Full details on -lino: wostcoastbiws.ca & tastoofhuron.ca Special thanks to these Sponsors & Pourers: The Port Of Goderich, Huron Chamber Of Commerce, Goderich BIA Lyons & Mulhern Insurance Brokers, Jokey Plastics North America ---lE NwnMir tiCk8SCOfl&ca Nature Cos envy of cows The NCC has recently identified a rare and at -risk snake species, the Queen Snake, within the Lower Maitland River Valley.