garter snakes on whiteface/passaconaway loop

[jessbee]

While hiking yesterday we found 5 garter snakes along this route!! I've been lucky to find one per day on some of my longer hikes, but at one point yesterday finding a snake became a joke because there were so many. Most were fairly small, one was probably less than a week old. Any idea why there's a preponderance of these snakes? Location? Time of year? Weather? My theory is that there were hardly any hikers out so the snakes weren't scared away. However, we didn't see any overflow of any other types of wildlife.

Thoughts?

(great hike, by the way)

 

[shamples]

I'm just curious as I haven't done too much hiking down south of the Kang besides Chocorua, Tecumseh and Osceola, but I have been planning on doing Whiteface for a little while now, but originally just up and back on the Blueberry Ledge Tr. I was wondering what trails made up the Whiteface/Passaconaway Loop? I always like loops better anyway and if I can throw another peak in, that is awesome. Sorry off the topic of the snakes. I didn't see any snakes yesterday around CDome and the Notch.

 

[MrAmeche]

Jessbee, that's kinda funny - the only time I've ever seen a snake in the Whites was on Passaconaway. Not sure about the abundance of them in that area, though... good question.

I believe the standard Whiteface/Passaconaway is the Blueberry Ledge to Rollins to Dicey's Mill. It's a fantastic loop, and the descent down Dicey's Mill is one of the easiest on the knees.

 

[grog]

garter snakes on Mt. Wachusett

I have seen garter snakes on the loop trail ( southern exposure ) about 20 times this year, more then all my hikes combined through the years. I too wonder why so many this year ?
There has also been more orange newts ( salamanders ? ) on Monadnock this year.

grog

 

[BrentD22]

Has anyone actually come across one of these?

Copperhead

Timber Rattlesnake

The other day I was getting some fire wood in back of my house. I moved some of the wood and heard a rattle noise, like one I could amagine came from a snake. I didn't hang out to explore more and my wife said she heard the same noise.

Has anyone actually come across these snakes, either in the backcountry or in rural housed areas?

 

[LarryD]

My wife and I were hiking Whiteface two weeks ago and we saw a snake that I could not immediately identify. I later found it was a ring-necked snake (not surprising, since it's primary distinguishing feature was a ring around its neck!) We saw a USFS ranger on the trail and she said it was the first time she had heard of a snake on the trail that was not a garter snake. I have no idea why the Whiteface/Passaconaway region has had so many snake sightings this year.

 

[Krazo]

Saw same snakes

Hi Jessbee,
I probably saw the same 5 or so snakes enjoying the sun yesterday too coming down Dicey's Mill trail.
A couple where good size, 1+" dia. 18 or so inches long.
Yes, great day for a hike. Talked to you and your husband at Rollins Trail TH.

Gary
Kittery

 

[jessbee]

Hi Jessbee,
I probably saw the same 5 or so snakes enjoying the sun yesterday too coming down Dicey's Mill trail.
A couple where good size, 1+" dia. 18 or so inches long.
Yes, great day for a hike. Talked to you and your husband at Rollins Trail TH.

Gary
Kittery

Husband?? That's news to me.

Yeah one of the snakes we saw had just eaten, it had a big lump in its belly. The others were relatively small.

Do rattlers and copperheads range that far north in the whites? I've never actually seen one out in the wild. Although where I used to work in North Carolina, people would bring them in to us daily (I worked at a zoo!). I'd love to come across some venomous snakes out here.

 

[Brian]

We have come across lots of garter snakes on our hikes and have found them everywhere throughout the Whites from our furthest northern point (Rodger's Ledge up in the Berlin fishery region) down to Waterville Valley. Then again, we look for them. So far, we have not had the luck to stumble on anything else but garter snakes; not even Northern Water Snakes (often mistaken for Water Moccasins or Cotton Mouths neither of which are found this far north). In fact, the only poisionous snake in NE is the timber rattler and they are not easy to find (we have not come across any yet) and my understanding is that they extend only to the southern reaches of NH.

We found the biggest garter snake I have ever seen on the Webster Cliff trail earlier this summer. Got a few pictures just so people wouldn't believe we were telling the classic fish story.

Garter snakes tend to give birth in the early spring or fall. I don't understand the choice of the fall birthing given winter is soon in the making. Garter snakes give birth to live young and they can come in batches of up to 100! We have found that females (though larger) tend to be much friendlier (less likely to bite) when first picked up than the males. Males have a relativley longer "tail" (the section from the anal opening to the tip) than females. After the initial shock of picking them up (the only time a snake gets picked up in nature is when it is about to becomes someone's lunch so you can imagine that it is quite terrified) many a snake will calm quickly, epsecially if they are covered (they hate to be exposed). Of course you will have to suffer their expulsion of musk and fecal matter which they excrete as copiously as they can to become as revolting as possible in the hopes you will let it go. Just wash up later. Sometimes we wash the snake as well in a brook if it is available if we intend to handle the creature for a while. We carried two rather large specimens down from Rodger's ledge curled up in the warmth of our hand (snakes like that warmth; not you) under a kerchief. We fed them small toads which they took from our hands. They were probably even more content after their meal. They are fascinating creatures and each one has it's own personality. It's too bad snakes have got such a bad rap.

 

[Waumbek]

Garter snakes tend to give birth in the early spring or fall. . . . They are fascinating creatures and each one has it's own personality. It's too bad snakes have got such a bad rap.

Yes, it's strange that Eastern garter snakes, NH's most common snake, give live birth as late as August and September.

 

[prino]

Yes, it's strange that Eastern garter snakes, NH's most common snake, give live birth as late as August and September.

That explains why I saw a baby Garter this morning slithering thru my lawn. I guess they must grow fairly fast. You can see them sunning themselves on rocks even as late as November.

 

[askus3]

On a pleasant afternoon on this past Wednesday, August 24, we came upon two snakes right on the summit rocks of South Crocker sunning themselves. They were a bit lethargic and didn't even move much upon our presence. We had the summit all to ourselves. Eventually, I will have my pictures of my trip loaded and I will edit this post with a link to a photo of the snakes.

 

[Brian]

They will stay motionless as well hoping that you don't see them or think they are just sticks. But as soon as they think they are a target, off they go!

Brian

 

[spongebob]

Yep Jessbee, I was coming down from hiking Passaconway and saw like eight snakes about two years ago. I call that the snake hike. Always makes me jump when they slither away quickly making noise. Of course they were just trying to get a tan on the trail. I guess I am pro mammal.

 

[Periwinkle]

I saw more snakes hiking Whiteface last year (first week of October), than every hike that year combined. I guess if you're into snakes, The Bowl and surrounds are the place to be. Just another reason I may never hike Whiteface again!

 

[Jim lombard]

Copperhead

Timber Rattlesnake

The other day I was getting some fire wood in back of my house. I moved some of the wood and heard a rattle noise, like one I could amagine came from a snake. I didn't hang out to explore more and my wife said she heard the same noise.

Has anyone actually come across these snakes, either in the backcountry or in rural housed areas?

We had a Copperhead here at work in our warehouse in North Andover last fall. It came in to get warm I guess. Was only about 2 feet long. I've never seen a rattler here or in the mountains.

 

[arghman]

Copperhead

Timber Rattlesnake

The other day I was getting some fire wood in back of my house. I moved some of the wood and heard a rattle noise, like one I could amagine came from a snake. I didn't hang out to explore more and my wife said she heard the same noise.

Has anyone actually come across these snakes, either in the backcountry or in rural housed areas?

Not sure about the rest of New England, but in New Hampshire the only poisonous snake is the timber rattlesnake which is endangered in the state and is only known in the Bear Brook State Park area and a few towns in the SW corner of the state. (if you see one somewhere else, call up NH Natural Heritage Bureau)

 

[LenDawg]

About a month or so ago, BPSchroeder and I saw a snake on the tripyramids. Just a little one. Don't remember much more, it took off fast.