Tag: snakes
-
Slithering into fall: hibernation for Ontario’s reptiles
Today’s post was written by seasonal student Heather Van Den Diepstraten from Rondeau Provincial Park. It’s not just students and birds on the move this fall. As the cold weather approaches, reptiles are trekking across Rondeau Provincial Park in search of hibernacula (places in which wildlife overwinter). Researchers for Wildlife Preservation Canada are busy tracking the…
-
(Don’t fear) The Eastern Hog-nosed Snake
Today’s post comes from Nicholas Ypelaar, former assistant Discovery coordinator at Awenda Provincial Park. “EW! SNAKES!” and/or accompanying fearful shrieks are phrases I’m all too familiar with. In defense of all those who have zero affinity to the limbless scaled reptiles of the world, I can understand it. My grandmother grew up in Goa, India, where…
-
A ghost in the attic
Today’s blog comes to us from Sam Alison, former Ontario Parks Gray Ratsnake researcher at Murphys Point Provincial Park. I must admit, as a seven year old, I was a little nervous about spending the night at my great grandmother’s cottage. At the family reunion, I had heard all about the seemingly mythical creature that…
-
Why are snakes so misunderstood?
We often hear our visitors say how much they fear or hate snakes. Ophidiophobia, the name for an intense fear of snakes, is certainly a legitimate condition, and we do not judge anyone who struggles with it. Many of our own staff are working through this fear. No one chooses to have a phobia. The…
-
Ontario's smallest snakes
Today’s post comes from Shane Smits, senior park interpreter at Rondeau Provincial Park. Are you terrified of snakes? Do you believe they’re all large and frightening? Well, everyone has a right to their own fears, but what if snakes aren’t all what the movies make them out to be? It’s a common misconception that snakes…
-
Living with Zhiishiigweg (Massasauga Rattlesnake): an Anishinaabek perspective
Today’s post comes from Indigenous Project Relations Intern Adam Solomon and Discovery Program Leader Kenton Otterbein at Killbear Provincial Park. Adam is a member of Henvey Inlet First Nation. Seeing a Massasauga Rattlesnake (“Zhiishiigweg“ in Anishinaabemowin) can provoke a variety of emotions ranging from fear to fascination. Unfortunately, fear caused by misinformation exaggerating the danger of rattlesnake…
-
8 cool facts about snakes
You might think that snakes are creatures of the night, slithering around in the dark, looking for prey and striking when they find it. But you’d be wrong. Most of our snakes are active during the day, though the Eastern Massasauga Rattlesnake, Milksnake and Ring-necked Snake do come out at night.
-
The remarkable 62-year career of Eddie Ramsay
Well… it had to happen eventually! Ontario Parks’ longest serving employee has retired after working 62 years at Killbear Provincial Park. Eddie started working at the park in 1959 and helped to build the roads and campgrounds before the park officially opened in 1960. After a full career training countless staff and keeping the maintenance department…