When printing out the Spring E -book for the Outdoor Challenges, both boys excitedly proclaimed that we would be studying about snakes. Oh – I quickly corrected them and assured them that they had mis read- that our kind Handbook of Nature Study Leader would NOT in fact make us study snakes as a part of Spring!
Um. Ya. I had to go back and apologize for not listening to them or trusting their reading skills – here it is May and sure enough – Snakes is on the list!
The boys have come across several snakes this spring – 2 very large Red-Sided Western Garter Snakes near a pond that drains to the Pacific Ocean.
The boys were observing the snakes, then putting them down in the field – and they would return to the originally found location. This sparked a question of interest – and we found out that the snakes in the area hibernate – and come out – generally – in the month of April. We heard from a few old timers that live up the logging roads, that they do not wander in the woods too far unprotected in April – as the snakes come out of hibernation hungry and angry. Although they are non poisonous – bites still are not fun.
We learned that the Garter Snake does not lay eggs, but rather gives birth to tiny little snakes – and then leaves them on their own.
Nathan is holding a handful of about 4 Common Garter Snakes that he found when we were looking for Cattails near a stream that drains from Devils Lake.
We read pages 193-203 of the Handbook of Nature Study – a section on Reptiles, and specifically Snakes. Anna Comstock spoke of a snake that lived happily under the steps of her school house – which reminded me of the snakes at Canyon River Park that would return to the bench upon each release. She urges the teacher to take an interest in the snakes through which she might “enter the paradise of the boyish heart instead of losing a paradise of her own”. – Oh, the Ponderings I could write on that topic alone!
We took our time of reading aloud today to learn about the snakes. Nate read the Christian Liberty Nature Reader, Bk 4, Sections of Snakes pages 136-157. Interesting that our favorite strange snake from Central Oregon was in there – the Hair Snake. We had them in our ponds – they had a relationship with our Jerusalem Crickets. CLICK HERE to read and see about this.
Jon and Dad looked up the Red-Sided Western Garter on the internet and read a bit about them from the North American Wildlife Reader’s Digest book. We looked through the Science Nature Guides Freshwater Life book as well.
I think the fact that the Garters do not lay eggs was the biggest thing we learned – and seeing a pattern that the snakes will return to a favorite spot – and that they eat earthworms - were on our list of new things we learned about snakes today.
We have found the common Garter Snake close to the lake, between the forest entry and the water, where we have found newts. Oh – and we learned that like lizards, they like to come out and bask in the afternoon sun – so that might be a good time of day to go looking 🙂
Happy Snake Observing – for this mom- even in the book observation is creepy.
May you not be the one to discover a Gopher Snake in your Daffodils!
Gopher Snake – Found by Blood Curdling Screaming Boy
Central Oregon – May 2009 
Nathan did his journaling on new tid bits learned about the Horse Snake – one of which is that it also goes after bugs – and then gets digested by fish – and then lives off the fish.
Jon did his nature journal page on the Red Sided Western Garter Snake.
+Angie Wright
