It is that time of year again, when each day is filled with
anticipation. Anticipation for warmer days, for the first cardinal to fly by,
for the first flower to bloom, or in our case for the first sighting of a
snake. It was early April and after several days of varying high and low
temperatures, I lifted my head to the yelling of “SNAKE!” I stopped what I was
doing and began to run towards the newly formed circle of my coworkers. As I
moved into the circle I was handed a common garter snake about 18 inches long. My
eyes lit up and I began to smile as this was the first snake I have seen this
year.
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| Ryan Manders educating Youth Outdoors crew members on the garter snake they found at Lilydale Regional Park. |
Having studied reptiles and amphibians in school, I began
talking to all of the local high school students working with us at Lilydale Regional Park and explaining some interesting facts about them. Being cold
blooded animals, they use the sun to warm themselves up and give them more
energy and as they have been hibernating all winter, they seemed quite cold and
sluggish yet.
As all the students were getting the chance to hold the snake we watched its
tongue flicker in and out of its mouth. As they do this, their tongues pick up chemicals
in the air which they use to help find prey and detect predators.
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| Lilydale Regional Park |
