Feelin' Foxy

This year has been a fantastic year for collecting observational records of the endangered populations of Eastern Foxsnakes here in Ontario.

This year I was lucky enough to see over 30 of these snakes from multiple locations. And one time we were even able to find 7 adults in one spot! (literally within a few meters of each other)

- Please note that I do not usually hold snakes like this. I only picked them up for a quick minute to document this incredible moment. They were quickly put back down right there where they were found.

7 adult Eastern Foxsnakes - Pelee Island

Although this was probably the highlight of foxsnake herping for this year, there were still many awesome finds before and after this.

The first Foxsnake of the year was found by a friend, Charlie, who originally thought it was a milksnake when he flipped it under a rock. This was a group outing back in May and it was a lifer for many of us, so you can imagine how excited we were.

Juvenile Eastern Foxsnake - Norfolk County

This was also at a location where none of us had previously seen foxsnakes which added to the excitement. This site ended up producing several more young foxsnakes over the summer including this one that came looking for a place to shed.

Eastern Foxsnake in shed - Norfolk County

The next Foxsnake that we had the privilege of seeing was this beautiful individual from the Long Point area that Sterling spotted.

Eastern Foxsnake in a low bush - Long Point

A week later we met up with Jon Wedow, an individual that studies these snakes for NCC (Nature Conservancy Canada) in Southern Ontario, to tag along and help him with one of his snake surveys that he was conducting. At one of his sites we found a 44.5" Foxsnake!

44.5" Foxnsake - Southern Ontario

Now you may be thinking, how did these guys see over 30 of these snakes this year if they have only seen 4 or 5 by mid-summer. So let me tell you, or better yet, show you.

Sterling, myself, and our friend and fellow herper Kyle Munro made a trip in July to Pelee Island in search of several unique species to the island. On this trip we found 21 Foxsnakes! Here are some pictures of a few we found.

2 Neonate Foxsnakes flipped under one board - Pelee Island

First Adult Foxsnake of the trip - Pelee Island

Portrait of an Eastern Foxsnake - Pelee Island

Full body shot of an Eastern Foxsnake - Pelee Island

Eastern Foxsnake in defensive posture - Pelee Isalnd

In-shed Foxsnake - Pelee Island

55.5" in-shed Foxsnake - Pelee Island

The last picture here is an Individual that I found in a pile of garbage under a rubber mat. It was the largest foxsnake of this year measuring in at fifty five and a half inches, almost five feet long.

That brings us to a total count of 28 Foxsnakes. After this the season slowed down again for finding these guys, but Sterling and I were able to see a few more individuals together in Norfolk County and then I found two more individuals myself, one which I flipped along with this Eastern Milksnake - the first milksnake either of us has seen in the county.

Eastern Foxnsake and Milksnake - Norfolk County

Lastly, it is important to note that we also found a few foxsnakes dead on the road (DOR) on our travels which is one of the major threats to this species in Southern Ontario. 
This is a picture of the only Foxsnake we found in Georgian Bay area this year, DOR.

DOR Foxsnake - Georgian Bay

- Ryan Wolfe
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