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Reptiles
The most common reptiles in the Metro Parks:
1. Eastern garter snake
2. Northern water snake
3. Painted turtle
4. Snapping turtle
Eastern gartern snake
With its long, yellow stripes, the eastern garter snake (also called gardener snake) is one of our most widely recognized reptiles. While favoring moist, open fields and streams, this snake is very adaptable and can be found in just about any natural habitat, as well as residential and urban areas.
Rarely exceeding two feet in length, garter snakes will feed on any small animal, but they seem to favor frogs and toads. Although not venomous, they can be somewhat aggressive when handled. Like all reptiles in our area, they brumate (i.e. hibernate) underground during cold winter months.
Northern water snake
Water snakes are commonly found near the water’s edge, where they hunt frogs and fish. Their aggressive behavior and rather robust size give them a bad reputation, even though they – like the garter snake – can do little harm.
The young have a marbled black-and-white pattern, which eventually darkens to nearly black with age. Many times to their demise, this disposition and coloration fool people into thinking they are a venomous cottonmouth or copperhead – especially further south, where these venomous snakes do occur.
Painted turtle
The painted turtle is the small, aquatic turtle commonly seen basking on logs in ponds and other still waters. Occasionally, they can be seen crossing land to lay eggs or locate better habitat.
From a distance, these turtles look relatively nondescript, but a closer view reveals beautiful yellow and red stripes on the skin, from which they get their name. Painted turtles primarily eat bugs and snails when young, but they eat more plant material as they mature. The turtles lay eggs in mid-summer and like all of our aquatic turtles, brumate under water during colder months, breathing through their skin.
Snapping Turtle
The snapping turtle is one of our most famous turtles and are common in various aquatic habitats. Highly acclaimed in some circles for their soup, most know them for their formidable size, strength and jaws, which demand respect, especially when found on land, where tempers can flare. Like snakes, snappers are strictly carnivorous, hunting and feeding under water on anything they can catch.
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