I was driving to my sister’s house the other day and had just gone around the corner from THO when I found that there was a snake directly on the path of my car. I was not driving fast, about 30 KPH (just under 20 MPH) so I was able to swerve to miss it. I stopped the car and walked back to be sure I did not accidentally clip it and when I did, I was surprised by the snake I found.
I had fully expected to see an endangered grey ratsnake (commonly called blacksnake). These often huge snakes make their home in the area where THO is located.
Don’t get me wrong, I am not a snake lover. I admit that am only mildly tolerant of their existence. I am not scared of them exactly, but I find the way that they suddenly move when you are almost on top of them startling. I have no desire to touch them either. I find the way the move and wrap around things very icky. Still, I certainly would not intentionally kill one, as a matter of fact I find the practice of those who kill them, distasteful at best.
The snake was fully unharmed by my drive by, but it was certainly not a ratsnake. The thing is, that I can’t identify exactly what sort of snake it was… and is the part that has kept me from writing about it. The snake with the closest markings (frighteningly) is the Eastern Massasauga Rattlesnake but the snake was more slender than images I have seen. I also did not notice a rattle but I did not get much of a look because it slithered away before I could get a good look (or my camera). The only other similar snake (that I am aware of) in this area is the milksnake, which both the pattern and the colour were wrong for.
I have never known rattlers to be in the area, but I am concerned that perhaps they are now here because of the way that the climate is altering.
Does anyone have any ideas that are not included here? If so, please do share a link to an image so that I can have a look and try to properly identify it.
Thanks!
Here are the Unique Features:
The snake was the same colour as the Massasauga – Tan/gold and brown.
It had a diamond pattern down both sides as with the Massasauga.
It was about one metre (a yard) in length.
It was a thinner snake similar to the common garter snake in breadth.
Tiny House Ontario 