( October 20, 2016) Featured with this post is probably one of the last good photos of a Giant garter snake for the year. As the cooler weather sets in, these cold-blooded animals will be going into “brumation.” Brumation is the word biologists use to describe the hibernation-like state the snakes adopt to over-winter.
So seeing this photo, you can see that the weather isn’t quite cool enough for them to take on a winter slumber. But we expect with cooler weather setting in, this will change.
This photo is included in this blog post because it is typical. That is, if you are curious about how Giant garter snakes are typically spotted by our biologists and field crews, this is pretty typical. In this photo, this Giant garter snake is obviously going somewhere. It is on the move, you could say. We also often see them in the water lying in wait for passing prey.
So, when you view this photo, you will get an idea of how we usually see this important NBHCP “Covered Species.”
