Are Ontario herps declining?

**Pareeeee** · 07-01-12, 01:42 PM

I used to catch snakes every summer. Garters, Northern Red Belly Snakes, Milk Snakes, sometimes Water Snakes...
Now, I'm lucky if I see two or three snakes in an entire summer!

I haven't seen a Red Belly snake for at least eight or nine years. There was this spot by a river where I used to go to catch them, and I would find one coiled up under almost every rock there. Now there are NONE.

A local conservation area used to be home to many, MANY garter snakes. I would walk along the rocky edge of the small lake/large pond and garters would disperse in every direction. In the last three or four years they have declined to such an extent that I'm lucky if I even find one snake there.

Same goes for certain amphibian species; I haven't seen a Wood frog for over ten years, when I used to see them every summer. There are fewer salamanders & newts such as red efts as well.

It's very sad. I think pollution is probably one of the biggest factors, maybe global warming as well.

Has anyone else had noticed this happening in the areas where they live?
Is there any documentation on the status of reptiles and amphibians in Ontario?

Raan · 07-01-12, 02:08 PM

If you google it actually which I did earlier this summer since the decline in them they actually have it where you can submit the location if you find a snake

snake man12 · 07-01-12, 02:29 PM

I have noted the same thing happening in the U.S??? But global warming is a fallacy.

Terranaut · 07-01-12, 03:46 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by snake man12

I have noted the same thing happening in the U.S??? But global warming is a fallacy.

Funny I also see global warming as more of an economic idea than a human controlled problem. The globe has been warming since the last ice age right?
I used to catch snakes near a pond a few blocks from here years ago and there was a garter snake winter den there as well that I know has not been dug up. I will go see what I can find in my way home from work tomorrow.