Rumors of different snakes have abounded over the years however the Wandering Garter Snake subspecies of the Western Terrestrial Garter Snake is firmly believed to be the one snake species in Jasper.
When Niki Wilson made her presentation on the Jasper Municipal Library on March 21, she confirmed that Jasper’s favorite and solely snake species is the Western Terrestrial Garter Snakes.
Beloved and well-established although it might be, little or no is understood concerning the species in Jasper, which prompted Wilson’s speak within the first place.
“A big part of why I wanted to start this project is just so we could get some learning going and maybe even hook in some research at some point,” she stated.
“Maybe we can infer some things from this species where it’s studied elsewhere, but one of the interesting things is just how variable it is. When it lives at altitude, it grows more slowly and has different behaviours than when it’s living fast and loose in valley bottoms.”
The Western Terrestrial Garter Snake is a extensively distributed species. Locally, individuals who observe them right here name them the Wandering Garter Snake, though that’s truly considered one of its 5 subspecies, every creating in line with the geography of the panorama it inhabits.
According to the Alberta Conservation Association’s web site, the snake may be recognized by a number of elements together with a cream-coloured stripe alongside the highest of its again and all sides of its physique.
Dark blotches might type a checkered sample between the stripes. It additionally has spherical pupils, and its background is both color: brown or gray. It can develop as much as 100 centimetres lengthy and its chunk is mildly venomous.
In the winter, many of those snakes come collectively to type a hibernaculum.
That is actually all that’s identified about these snakes, aside from the areas the place probably the most sightings of them happen. Wilson is collaborating with the library on a neighborhood science program. Back within the library’s studying room, folks can pin their snake sightings on a map. That is the central hub for what Wilson calls the Citizen Snake Patrol.
She additionally inspired folks to obtain the iNaturalist app to their cellphones.
“The mystery continues, and that is what’s great about what we’re about to undertake in the community is that now we all have one of these things in our pocket for better or for worse, we might be able to get some data.”
Wilson defined how anybody may also help scientists and different naturalists everywhere in the world to get a greater thought of the distribution of species, and species are altering over time on account of local weather change and different elements.
“It’s been an incredibly useful tool for scientists,” she stated.
“As we get going on the app, we might make some discoveries as a group.”
