#kirtlands snake

[sorrcha]

kirtland's snake,, forever a little sad that they haven't been seen in my state since 1966 </3

[nohiketoosmall]

Do you live in Illinois? Please read <3

The Kirtland's Snake (Clonophis kirtlandii) is a Midwestern snake that lives in wetlands and grasslands. It is threatened, endangered, or extirpated (locally extinct) throughout its range. The species was rejected from "endangered species" status but will be reconsidered in the next two years.

Photo credit x

The Kirtland's Snake has been found in a preserve in Will County, Illinois (just south of Chicago), but a permit filed by the County indicates they plan to pave a trail straight through its critical wetland habitat.

Figure 2 from here showing untouched habitat they will be paving through. This is from the Incidental Take permit.

The "Incidental Take" refers to the individuals that will die as a result of this plan. The "Incidental take" in this case is estimated to be 3 snakes because they found 3 in the planned construction zone, but this does not consider 1. the small gene pool/population size 2. the loss of prey from damage to the wetlands (from wetland pollution and soil compression) and 3. overall habitat decreasing and 4. direct injury from human persons ie being run over by bikes or stepped on.

Photo from IDNR fact sheet, source

If you are a nature lover please consider emailing DNR.ITACoordinator@Illinois.gov , the Department of Natural Resources Incidental Take Authorization coordinator, and ask them to reconsider and strengthen protections for threatened species like this!

[fatehbaz]

At the intersection of Ohio, Michigan and Indiana, the corn monoculture melts away to reveal green rolling hills and deep gorges. The lush forest is pockmarked by steep-banked ponds, carved out by retreating glaciers 10,000 years ago. Standing waist-deep in a forest pool, Megan Seymour scans the shrubby banks with binoculars. A slight change in colour and texture spotted in the tangled buttonbush swamp reveals her quarry: a thick, glossy, copperbelly water snake (Nerodia erythrogaster neglecta). [...]

The copperbelly water snake – named for its tangerine-orange underside – inhabited what was one of the largest wetland areas in North America.

Roughly the size of Connecticut and stretching from Fort Wayne in Indiana across much of north-west Ohio, the Great Black Swamp was home to elk, wolves, mountain lions and black bears.

In the mid-19th century, farmers began to clear the trees and drain the swamp to access the fertile soil hidden beneath the water. In just five decades, the Great Black Swamp was dry.

Today, the copperbelly water snake lays claim to just 50 sq km (20 sq miles) of remnant swamp forest in the tri-state area – slightly smaller than Manhattan Island.

Though the exact number of the reptiles is not known, experts estimate that fewer than 100 individuals, possibly as few as 40, remain.

“I think they will be gone within 20 years,” says [...] a land steward with the Nature Conservancy [...]. He believes saving the copperbelly water snake is essential to the region’s ecology because it is “an umbrella species” [...] for dozens of other declining species that rely on the swamp forest, including the rare bobolink blackbird and the checkerspot butterfly. When Seymour began searching for copperbelly water snakes in spring 2021, no one had seen one alive in the wild in almost three years. She spent more than 180 hours combing through the wetlands historically inhabited by the species but found none. [...]

---

All content above, images, caption, and text published by: Ryan Wagner. “‘They aren’t mean and they aren’t trying to get you’: saving the copperbelly water snake.” The Guardian. 14 February 2023. [All photos published with this story were also taken by Ryan Wagner. Bold emphasis and some paragraph breaks added by me.]

For reference, here’s the distribution range of the copperbelly water snake:

And here, what was once the Great Black Swamp:

Snake, endemic species unique to Great Lakes region and flooded prairies of the “Prairie Peninsula,” nearly extinct.

[orcinus-veterinarius]

MANDO MANDO. SINDDEBIS. THERE'S A CHANCE ME AND A FRIEND HAVE THE FIRST REPORT OF THE ENDANGERED KIRTLANDS SNAKE IN OUR COUNTY. WE LIVE IN A BLANK SPOT.

NO WAY!!! That’s amazing!!! What an incredible discovery, congratulations! 🐍🐍🐍🐍 let me know how it turns out!!!

[ruckis--rookie]

Nahhhh bitch fuck you mean Gera has pittie genes in him

Ma'am I thought I told you this???

or do you need a refresher that Geragera is a Soulshifter body and technically counts as undead until he shape shifts into a different (living) body? Furthermore the fact that he had pushed genes from multiple animals into making his default body which is technically one-of-a-kind species wise? Cuz I can give you the list, some being more prominent than others. Effectively speaking if anthro frogs can be mutts, he is one. Because of course I put too much thought into how this would logically work. -Dhampir (as the main base) -Dumpy Tree Frog -American Bull Frog -Blue Gill -Pittie/Staffie (lil bit of both) -Kirtland's Snake -Blue Tail Skink

How else do you think he got those sticky paw pads and ability to wag his tail? Otherwise that tail probably would have been vestigial. You and I both know Gera has a soft spot for big dogs.

[petnews2day]

Federal agency reconsiders decision not to protect rare Kirtland's snake

New Post has been published on https://petn.ws/f99cH

Federal agency reconsiders decision not to protect rare Kirtland's snake

The U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service is taking another look at protecting the Kirtland’s snake. It’s a rare snake found in counties scattered across the Midwest. It’s named after the same naturalist for which Kirtland’s warbler, a once-endangered songbird, is named. “It’s a pretty snake. It has a rosy pink underbelly which is maybe its […]

See full article at https://petn.ws/f99cH #ExoticPetNews

[jeusussavearmyveteran1205]

this newborn Kirtland’s snake.

Fun Fact: Did you know that Kirtland’s snakes are viviparous? This mean that instead of laying eggs, the female incubates the young snakes inside of her body and then gives live birth. How cool!

[goatyellsateverything]

I got to see a wonderful little baby this weekend. Sadly, I didn’t get any pictures because everyone around me was just trying to kill it. :c

It was just a widdle bby noodle, I think it was a Kirtland’s snake. Very sweet and very noodley. I took him off and set him down low on the hillside and he wiggled off towards the water.

10/10 wiggles

[is-the-snake-video-cute]

What would you say, personally, is the cutest non-venomous snake in Michigan?

(Okay so personally I think eastern Massasauga rattlesnakes are adorable little angels BUT since we're excluding venomous snakes...)

I have to say Kirtland's snakes! They're tiny little guys, about the same size as garter snakes, and super cute. Love their red bellies and the wide checkers on their backs!

And Eastern hognoses get honorable mention since they're still venomous, even if it isn't medically significant.

[rjzimmerman]

A flurry of lawsuits against the federal government resulting from trump’s repulsive failures under the Endangered Species Act

We’ll see where this goes. My guess: settlements in all cases, with rigorous positive proceedings under the Endangered Species Act to follow. From the Center for Biological Diversity:

This month the Center for Biological Diversity's lawyers are working hard to rescue 31 rare species the Trump administration neglected to protect — or outright denied safeguards.

First we sued the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service for indefinitely delaying protections for 10 species in dire need, including northern spotted owls and monarch butterflies. Trump's Service claimed that although all 10 needed help to avoid extinction, the administration had more important things to spend its money on.

Then, this Wednesday, we filed a notice of intent to sue the Service for completely denying protection to 21 other species under Trump. From the MacGillivray's seaside sparrow on the Atlantic Coast to the Kirtland's snake in the Midwest, these species face serious threats from habitat destruction, climate change, invasive species and pollution.

The Trump regime's nihilistic approach to nature and wildlife left it with the worst conservation record since the Endangered Species Act was passed in 1973: In four years it protected only 25 species.

[ghostmanblog]

Scientists discover new and endangered species in wetlands preserve  - Indiana Daily Student

[ainawgsd]

Massasauga Rattlesnake

The massasauga (Sistrurus catenatus) is a rattlesnake species found in midwestern North America from southern Ontario to northern Mexico, and parts of the United States in between. Three subspecies are currently recognized.  The Native American word, "massasauga", means "great river-mouth" in the Ojibwe language and was probably given to describe grasslands surrounding the river deltas in Ojibwe country.

The adults are not large, ranging from 24 to 30 inches in length. The color pattern consists of a grey or tan ground color with a row of large rounded brown/black blotches or spots down the center of the back and three smaller rows of alternating spots down each side. Solid black melanistic examples are also known, as well as cases where the back blotches join with those on the sides. Young massasauga are well-patterned but paler than the adults.

Common names include:  Massasauga, massasauga rattlesnake, massasauga rattler (Ontario), black massasauga, black rattler, black snapper, gray rattlesnake (Iowa), little grey rattlesnake (Canada), muck rattler, prairie rattlesnake, spotted rattler, swamp rattler, víbora de cascabel (Mexico), dwarf prairie rattlesnake, eastern massasauga great adder, ground rattlesnake, Kirtland's rattlesnake, little black rattlesnake, Michigan point rattler (Michigan), prairie massasauga, rattlesnake, small prairie rattlesnake, snapper, swamp massasauga, swamp rattlesnake, and triple-spotted rattlesnake.

The diet consists of a variety of small vertebrates, including mammals, lizards, and other snakes, as well as invertebrates such as centipedes. Mammals and reptiles make up the bulk of their diet. Adults feed mainly on rodents, while juveniles usually prey on reptiles: more often lizards in western populations and snakes in eastern ones. The venom of S. c. catenatus is a cytotoxic venom, that destroys tissue. It also contains specialized digestive enzymes that disrupt blood flow and prevent blood clotting. Severe internal bleeding causes the death of the small animals that this snake eats. After envenomation, the rattlesnake is able to withdraw from the dangers of sharp toothed prey animals until they are subdued and even partially digested by the action of the venom.

S. c. catenatus is rather shy and avoids humans when it can. Most massasauga snakebites in Ontario have occurred after people deliberately handled or accidentally stepped on one of these animals.  Both of these scenarios are preventable by avoiding hiking through areas of low visibility (in rattlesnake country) when not wearing shoes and long pants, and by leaving the massasaugas alone when they are found. There are only two recorded incidents of people dying from massasauga rattlesnake bites in Ontario and in both cases they did not receive proper treatment.

This species is classified as least concern (LC) on the IUCN Red List of Threatened Species. The eastern massasauga has been listed as a candidate species on the United States Endangered Species Act since 1999. The eastern massasauga is listed as an endangered species in Illinois, Indiana, Iowa, Minnesota, Missouri (also considered extirpated), New York, Ohio, Pennsylvania and Wisconsin. Michigan, the only state in which it is not considered endangered, lists it as "special concern". As of 2016, the massasauga is listed as Threatened under the Endangered Species Act.

The massasauga is listed as threatened under both Ontario's Endangered Species Act, 2007, and the federal Species at Risk Act, and is protected under the Fish and Wildlife Conservation Act. It is becoming rare in Canada due to persecution and loss of habitat and is designated as "threatened" by the Committee on the Status of Endangered Wildlife in Canada, as well as the Committee on the Status of Species-at-risk in Ontario.

[fatehbaz]

For fans of Great Lakes landscapes, native prairies, crustaceans, and/or snakes:

Here are some excerpts from a couple of recent and accessible presentations on the ecology of an iconic Midwestern mascot, Clonophis kirtlandii, the “Kirtland’s snake.” It’s a rare and very unique snake - one of the only reptile species exclusively limited to the Midwest and Great Lakes. It’s water-tolerant, lives in flooded native prairies, and is dependent on the burrows of crayfish, relying on the crustaceans for food and shelter.

--

These photos and graphics come from the work of Tristan D. Schramer for Illinois Natural History Survey of the Prairie Research Institute, with co-authors Taylor R. West, Daniel B. Wylie, and Yatin Kalki, who have produced some of the most detailed work on both the ecology and the geographic distribution range of the Kirtland’s snake.

--

Obligatory distribution map.

-- [Here’s] me rambling about a close associate of the Kirtland’s snake: the eastern massasauga, a miniature rattlesnake that’s also endemic to the Great Lakes region and whomst also lives in crayfish burrows in flooded prairies.

-- These photos and more can be found on these presentation slides which introduce the snake and its habitat: “Filling in the Gaps: Clonophis kirtlandii in Illinois.” Tristan D. Schramer. April 2018.

-- Schramer’s Flickr page contains many great photos of Midwestern snakes and their habitat: [x]

-- Here’s a cool poster about the snake-crustacean relationship: “Into the Crayfish Burrow: More on the Ecology of Kirtland’s snake (Clonophis kirtlandii).” Tristan D. Schramer, Taylor R. West, Yatin Kalki, Daniel B. Wylie. July 2019.

[ultraheydudemestuff]

Kinnikinnick Fen Nature Preserve

550 Crouse Chapel Road

Chillicothe, OH 45601

Kinnikinnick Fen is a 154 acre wetland complex situated along Kinnikinnick Creek in Green Township, Ross County near Chillicothe, OH. A "fen" is a type of wetland (along with bogs, swamps, and marshes) that is fed by spring water that is mineral rich and alkaline, rather than containing the acidic water that you find in most of the other wetland types. As a result of the unusual alkaline water chemistry, several threatened plant species are found here, along with a couple of Ohio Threatened animals--Kirtland's snake and the Spotted turtle. Kinnikinnick Fen Nature preserve sits back off Crouse Chapel Road.

The preserve features a 1.8 mile walking path that follows Kinnikinnick Creek, and passes through picturesque wetlands, sedge meadow, woods, and newly planted (April, 2017) fields of wildflowers and native grasses that were formerly in agriculture. Three observation decks offer wonderful views of Kinnikinnick Creek and oxbow wetlands. There is a small gravel parking lot that can accommodate approximately 15-20 cars. There are two benches and a recycling trash station.

[abqjanitorial]

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[dendroica]

The Trump administration announced today that 25 highly imperiled species do not qualify for protection under the Endangered Species Act.  The species range from the Pacific walrus — found to be endangered by the Obama administration because of loss of summer sea ice to climate change — to the Florida Keys mole skink, rapidly losing habitat to sea-level rise. They include 14 species of Nevada springsnails threatened by the Southern Nevada Water Authority’s plans to pump groundwater in the northern part of the state. “This is a truly dark day for America’s imperiled wildlife. You couldn’t ask for a clearer sign that the Trump administration puts corporate profits ahead of protecting endangered species,” said Noah Greenwald, endangered species director at the Center for Biological Diversity. “The Pacific walrus, Florida Keys mole skink, eastern boreal toad and 22 other species are now one step closer to extinction. We’re going to challenge as many of these bogus findings as we can.” In addition to the species mentioned above, the Barbour’s map turtle, Bicknell’s thrush, Big Blue Springs cave crayfish, Oregon Cascades-California and Black Hills populations of the black-backed woodpecker, Great Sand Dunes tiger beetle, Kirtland’s snake and San Felipe gambusia were all denied protection. A number of the species — including the walrus, Florida Keys mole skink, Bicknell’s thrush, Kirtland’s snake, northern Rockies population of fisher, Nevada springsnails and Big Blue Springs Cave crayfish — are known to be threatened by climate change as well as other factors. But the Trump administration denied protection anyway, saying in a number of cases that their loss was too speculative.

Trump Administration Denies Endangered Species Protection for 25 Species