Saving Eastern Foxsnake: What you can do to help

The Eastern Foxsnake (Pantherophis gloydi) is the second largest in Ontario. It is yellow to light brown with large brown or black blotches down its back that alternate with smaller blotches along its sides. It may have a reddish brown head with dark bars around the eyes and a yellow chin. Its belly is yellow with a black checkered pattern. The scales of the Eastern Foxsnake are lightly keeled (rough to the touch). Do you live near Eastern Foxsnakes? Photo: Scott Gillingwater The Eastern Foxsnake can be found along the shores of Lake Erie and Lake St. Clair in the Field check Carolinian zone. It lives in old fields, prairies, The Eastern Foxsnake can be confused with marshes, dune shorelines, hedgerows bordering other blotched . Look for: farm fields and vegetated areas along drainage  Pattern of blotches on a lighter coloured canals. It uses brush piles, table rocks, tree body, not the faint horizontal banding on a stumps, root systems of downed trees, darker body seen on the Northern driftwood, scrap metal, chunks of asphalt and Watersnake. masonry for basking and shelter.  Dark blotches without a black outline, not Female Eastern Foxsnakes lay their eggs in the the reddish blotches with distinct black summer in rotten logs, stumps, beneath outlines seen on the Milksnake. Milksnakes driftwood, in decaying leaf piles, beneath human also usually have a "Y" shaped pattern on garbage or in compost piles. the top of the head, foxsnakes do not.  Does not have a distinctive upturned snout, In winter, they hibernate in natural and human and stout body as seen on the Eastern Hog- made features: limestone bedrock fissures, nosed Snake. small burrows, wells, cisterns.  Does not have a triangular head or a vertical pupil as seen on the Eastern What you can do to help .  Keep your property as natural as possible. Maintain or create brush piles and leave logs to decay where they lie. This is good for Did you know? snakes and their food sources. When threatened these snakes will rarely bite  Do not remove or change the position of but they will release a strong musk and often rocks on your property. Create new rock vibrate their tails. They are often mistaken for piles if possible. rattlesnakes!  Provide vegetated corridors for snakes to  Appreciate snakes for their role in eating move between habitat patches by not mowing rodents on your property and don’t harm grass within these corridors. them.  Build a snake nesting box if you have the  Watch for snakes on the road from May- right habitat on your property. October every year and avoid running them  Do a snake check before mowing your lawn. over—and please help spread the word! Saving Eastern Foxsnake

General Best Stewardship Practices Status  Keep domestic pets on a leash when The Eastern Foxsnake is listed as Endangered outside to prevent them from harming or nationally and provincially. It is illegal to kill, harassing native wildlife. harm or collect the , or to destroy its  Learn to identify invasive species. Your habitat in Ontario. local Conservation Authority or Ontario Carolinian Canada Coalition is working with Ministry of Natural Resources Office can local Ontario Ministry of Natural Resources provide you with information on invasive Offices, Conservation Authorities and other species that occur in your area and what you Non-Governmental Organizations to recover can do to help prevent their spread. Species at Risk.  Learn about stewardship activities in your You can help the recovery efforts by protecting area and actively participate in protecting this species and its habitat. Species at Risk. To find more information about stewardship activities in your area, contact your local Stewardship Council or Good sources of information Conservation Authority. Carolinian Canada Coalition:  Take advantage of the Environmental Farm www.carolinian.org Plan program. To learn more contact the Ontario Ministry of Natural Resources: Ontario Ministry of Natural Resources or the Includes information about Ontario Species at Risk Ontario Ministry of Agriculture, Food and Rural www.mnr.gov.on.ca/en/ Affairs. Natural Heritage Information Centre  If you have Species at Risk on your property, http://nhic.mnr.gov.on.ca/ you may be eligible for stewardship programs Find your local Conservation Authority Office: or financial incentives that support the www.conservationontario.ca protection and recovery of Species at Risk and Government of Canada Species at Risk Public their habitats. Contact the Ontario Ministry of Registry: Natural Resources for more information. www.sararegistry.gc.ca  Report any illegal activity related to plants Find your local Stewardship Council: and wildlife to 1-877-TIPS-MNR (847-7667) www.ontariostewardship.org Ontario Soil and Crop Improvement Association Includes information about the Environmental Farm Did you know? Plan Eastern Foxsnakes are very athletic! They can ontariosoilcrop.org climb trees and have been found up to 10 Toronto Zoo Adopt-a-Pond metres above the ground. They are also Learn more about Ontario’s , their habitat excellent swimmers and will swim many and related conservation initiatives. kilometres through open water. www.torontozoo.com/Adoptapond Ontario’s and Atlas Assistance for this project See how you can participate and learn more about was provided by the Ontario’s reptiles and . Government of Ontario www.ontarionature.org/protect/species/herpetofauna l_atlas.php Environment Environnement Canada Canada