Interested in learning more about these reptiles of the Bay? Keep reading!
Where is the Chesapeake Bay Basin?
The Chesapeake Bay alone borders several different states: Delaware, Maryland, New York, Pennsylvania, Virginia, West Virginia, and the District of Columbia. However, its basin can stretch much further. A river basin is the area of land that is drained by a river and that river’s tributaries. As a result, the Chesapeake Bay’s basin includes the area surrounding its headwaters, which can be found in New York, to the area around the bay itself.
Types of Snakes Found in the Chesapeake Bay Basin
Because this is such a large area, spanning up to five hundred miles in some directions, there are countless snakes to be encountered here. Here are some of the five most common snakes in the Chesapeake Bay basin.
1. Black Rat Snake
The black rat snake goes by many different names, including black snake, black chicken snake, black coluber, western rat snake, or pilot black snake. Some of these names can make it difficult to know whether or not you’re dealing with a black rat snake, as both the eastern indigo snake and the eastern racer can be called black snake. There is one subspecies of black rat snake. Because the black rat snake is a nonvenomous snake species, it has found other ways to protect itself from predators. Typically, it will try to flee from potential predators – including humans. However, it may also shake its tail. This paired with its appearance, can mimic rattlesnakes. It may also release a foul-smelling musk, similar to other species of snakes.
2. Copperhead
The copperhead snake bites more people in America each year than any other species of snake, including those in the Chesapeake Bay basin. However, this doesn’t mean they’re outwardly aggressive to people. Instead, thanks to their copper hue, they easily blend into the fallen leaves. As a result, it can be easy to accidentally step on one of these snakes, leading to a bite out of defense. Copperheads are one of the few reptiles out there capable of undergoing a process known as parthenogenesis. This means that females are able to fertilize eggs and thus produce offspring without the help of a male copperhead. Although they’re considered top predators in the snake world, copperheads can actually be fairly docile unless hunting or threatened. During hibernation, they’ve even been known to share dens with other types of snakes, such as rattlesnakes and black rat snakes.
3. Eastern Garter Snake
The eastern garter snake is one of many different species of garter snake. They’re also one of the more common snakes in the Chesapeake Bay basin. They can be seen most in the southern regions of the basin. Although they won’t live in water directly, the easter garter snakes are never too far from it. They prefer to live in moist areas, whether it’s the forests and grasslands surrounding lakes and rivers or even in suburban areas such as in ditches and flower beds. They are nonvenomous and will prefer to flee whenever encountered with a threat, including humans. You can find eastern garter snakes year round, including in the winter on sunny days. They have a widely diverse diet of small prey, including mammals, insects, and amphibians. Some have even been known to eat fish. Because they are common with a thriving population, the eastern garter snake isn’t protected in most areas. However, they are protected throughout the entirety of the state of Georgia.
4. Eastern Kingsnake
While many other species of kingsnakes sport a red, black, and yellow pattern to mimic coral snakes, the same cannot be said for the eastern kingsnake. Instead, they have shiny black scales and thin white or yellow bands along their body. They can reach up to four feet long. The eastern kingsnake can be found as far north as New Jersey. As a result, they’re a common snake in the Chesapeake Bay basin. They’re nonvenomous and, like all snakes, are more afraid of you than you are of them. As a result, if you happen to encounter one of these beautiful snakes while you’re out and about, don’t panic and keep your distance. The eastern kingsnake would much rather flee than try to confront you. Like the eastern garter snake, the eastern kingsnake only lives on land. However, they prefer to live in damp areas and areas close to water.
5. Northern Water Snake
At a glance, the northern water snake resembles many species of venomous snakes, including the copperhead that is also found here. However, this is another one of the nonvenomous snakes found in the Chesapeake Bay basin. It can grow to be up to five feet long and live up to nine years in captivity. The northern water snake is actually one of several subspecies of the common water snake. This subspecies is found in the northern regions of the United States, making it more common in the more northern areas of the basin. As a result, they may not be a common sight in the Chesapeake Bay itself.
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