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Head outside with only a light jacket or sweater in daytime temps above freezing. Ice remains on lakes, but creeks, streams, rivers and vernal pools show resound with splashing. Reptiles and amphibians (herps) are showing themselves.
Reports from bird watchers, birders, and ornithologists are reporting, photographing, and sharing bird sightings. “Herpers”, herpetologists, and others have seen blue-spotted salamanders, started frog and toad surveys, photographed emerging garter snakes and anticipated the first spring turtle sightings.
The daily routine of checking known wintering sites of wintering garter snakes followed morning weather forecasts. Nights just below freezing followed by daytime highs reaching 40+ degrees Fahrenheit. At some south facing sunlit rock outcropping that have fractures and underground access, show some movement as ectothermic snakes venture out to absorb the heat.
After arriving last October as temperatures dropped, some males and females may have mated before becoming inactive during winter, but now as males come out, they will be seeking females to mate with before dispersing for the summer. In either case, their sperm will fertilize eggs withing the females and young will be born later in the summer. An adult female may spend her summer with from anywhere between single digits to well into double digit young developing to be born before next fall.
But the action picks up by these wintering sites as daytime temperatures reach the 50s and 60s by midday and through the afternoons. Males stream back and forth to sense the pheromones and presence of any emerging females. The result large groups of snakes entwined with each male seeking the opportunity to pass sperm and genes on to an available female.
There is an element of competition and even some trickery. Research as show that some males can produce pheromones that mimic the females. Mixing a number of these “shemales’ into the groups of snakes, can distract and confuse males, enabling opportunities for other males.
But males that are successful mate and plug the female’s cloaca limiting other males’ ability to mate with that female. Competition and necessary body alignment for mating results in groups of snakes with heads and talks sticking out in many directions.
April 20 through April 23 so far this week has resulted in the activity and pictures taken at various times for this article. This window in spring will end as weather warms and adult females have been mated and all the snakes move on to seek earthworms and a variety of other foods to sustain them until 2025 young have been born and they return next fall.
There are many resources to read more about Eastern Garter Snakes that live in our area; Amphibian and Reptiles of the North Woods Snakes and Lizards of Minnesota Amphibians and Reptiles in Minnesota Natural History of Amphibians and Reptiles of Wisconsin Amphibians and Reptiles Michigan Beginning In April, any and every day can provide possible herpetological discoveries experiences. Have fun.
