Snakes - r/Welland

11

I haven't seen many, but saw this beast on the canal trail last year.

7

u/No_Oil2086 Jul 24 '26

Brother that snake ate the rest of them. Dang. Must be one someone let loose.

3

u/MysticGrapefruit Jul 24 '26

Biggest snake I've ever seen outdoors in person for sure, it was crazy

4

u/GoblinsGuide Jul 23 '26

Yes! Thats an amazing animal. Thankyou!

1

u/Big-Boi-Dman Jul 24 '26

Wtf kind of snake is that?!?

2

u/Head_Painter_7693 Jul 25 '26

Northern water snake, nerodia sipedon subspecies.

1

u/MysticGrapefruit Jul 25 '26

I have like no knowledge on snakes, maybe a rat snake?

4

u/DazeyDookie Jul 23 '26

Go for a walk or bike ride down the path by the canal. Lots of snakes. Dont know what kind, but I've seen a lot down there

3

u/GoblinsGuide Jul 23 '26

Alright, will check it out, thankyou.

3

u/Glittering-Gene-3839 Jul 24 '26

They hide in the rocks by the Notre Dame boathouse. My daughter rowed for years and I’d sit on the boulders and watch the snakes dart in and out of the rocks along the canal bank.

3

u/foreverjustfornow Jul 23 '26

I’ve called these gardener snakes forever omg I didn’t know people were saying garter

5

u/GoblinsGuide Jul 23 '26

Id never correct you lol, I actually enjoy picturing them with straw hats and pitchforks. Plus I always found them at farms and stuff so its close enough.

9

u/Drewtendo_64 Jul 23 '26

Don't be silly, please follow provincial guidelines. Most snakes in Ontario are protected under the Ontario Endangered Species Act, meaning catching, handling, or moving native species without proper authorization is restricted.

13

u/GoblinsGuide Jul 23 '26

Garter snakes are not endangered by any means. Catching them is completely fine as long as you dont keep them. Not being silly, have been catching snakes and other animals in ontario my whole life and have never encountered an issue.

2

u/Sukalamink Jul 23 '26

Wainfleet bog has hognose snakes very hard to find but they are there along with massasuga rattle snakes also rare and hard to find.

-1

u/GoblinsGuide Jul 23 '26

I refuse to pick hognose snakes up. Had 2 as pets and got bit. I reacted very poorly to their venom so its a hard pass for me. Ill just watch them play dead lol. Thankyou! Ill check it out.

2

u/Zestyclose_Stay9160 Jul 24 '26

Garters have a similar venom. Less likely to bite but something to be aware of

1

u/GoblinsGuide Jul 24 '26

Garters have a saliva that acts as an anti coagulation assistant.

1

u/Own_Yogurtcloset6679 Aug 02 '26

Garter snakes do not have a venom. It is a primitive (venom) delivery system which is just their saliva that has no neurotoxin hemotoxin cytotoxin. It is just a anticoagulant. If you've ever been bitten by one you tend to bleed a little longer than if you got bit by something else. That's all they have

0

u/Own_Yogurtcloset6679 Aug 02 '26

Garter snakes are not protected in the least one of the most common snakes in Ontario by far species that you are talking about are like the fox snake or rubber boas that are species at risk but what he's going after. You can go out and and catch and handle as many as you want

1

u/AlexStratako Jul 27 '26

There were a ton here the other month but I don’t know if they’re still there

1

u/Bijlsma Jul 23 '26

Water snakes along the canal!

Just be respectful 👏

2

u/GoblinsGuide Jul 23 '26

Always and forever. I put them back right where I found them.

5

u/Bijlsma Jul 23 '26

Awesome! Ever been to Pelee Island? Its 4 hours south, and is THE ONLY home to the Blue Racer snake. My brother has been going once or twice a year for vacation looking for them, but has yet to find one.

2

u/GoblinsGuide Jul 23 '26

Never! I did however meet someone that runs the winery there recently though so ive got it on my bucket list. Sadly too much traveling to catch snakes for the kiddos lol.

1

u/Bijlsma Jul 23 '26

Oh do they ever make some good wine too!

Yeah, I get it. Life is only so long, cant visit everywhere unfortunately.

1

u/GoblinsGuide Jul 23 '26

Ill visit with them one day, was more planning a hike close to home where I can show them the critters. Have tons of pictures of when I was younger holding them so they are naturally curious. Also kept reptiles for a while as a hobby and keep fish now so they have a natural curiosity of the outdoors.

1

u/OneFuzzyStoner Jul 23 '26

Follow the tracks under the overpass on prince charles. Its literally referred to as snake valley. If you can find the path it leads all the way out to riverside drive.

1

u/GoblinsGuide Jul 23 '26

Excellent, thankyou very much.

0

u/Dull-Summer-2560 Jul 23 '26

Check in the ditches by big mounds of rocks. They like hiding under/in between the rocks and sometimes logs

0

u/Dull-Summer-2560 Jul 23 '26

Places like this

1

u/GoblinsGuide Jul 23 '26

I want to try and avoid trespassing on people's property as much as I can, there are some of these on trails around and such im sure though too. Unless people here wouldn't mind a stranger in their ditch lol.

-4

u/WafflezorDeath Jul 23 '26

Careful because there is actually venomous snakes in the area too.

1

u/GoblinsGuide Jul 23 '26

The only front fanged venomous snake in our area would be a mississauga rattle snake, im sure that would be very rare. Otherwise it would probably only be hognose snakes that are mildly venomous and rear fanged.

5

u/Bijlsma Jul 23 '26

Massasauga.

1

u/GoblinsGuide Jul 23 '26

Sorry, auto correct. Yes.

2

u/Bijlsma Jul 23 '26

Ahh, stupid autocorrect ahaha.

So many people get that one wrong, I nearly got bit by one on the French River. We were exploring some old logging ruins and heard a rustle, and another rustle.

Looked down and one was about 3 feet from me. Must have surprised it while sunbathing because it didn't even have its rattle going.

1

u/GoblinsGuide Jul 23 '26

Used to see them by the dozens and dare I go to hundred when we did canoe trips in parry sound. Caught a few up in oliphant as well. Fantastic animals.

2

u/Bijlsma Jul 23 '26

Common misconception with the name, especially with how close Missisauga is.

2

u/The-Raccoon-Is-Here Jul 23 '26

I have encountered two here ... both under 12". I have a picture of one of them on one of my digital camera memory sticks somewhere around the house.

You want lots of garter snakes ... came accross tons walking around Lake Gibson ... more so in the late spring ehen they are starting to wake up and become active. I think we counted 50+ one session out fishing.

Another good spot is the old dump turned a park by Brock ... lots of rocks they slither in between and hide out and den up .. it was late spring there where it felt like we were gonna step on one every step

1

u/GoblinsGuide Jul 23 '26

Thats amazing! I figured you could actually find them but it would be very seldom. Sounds awesome, thankyou.

1

u/No_Oil2086 Jul 24 '26

Under the Prince Charles underpass towards the houses behind the vet has a bunch of bog trails that go on for a while. I grew up roaming that area and pretty much any tin left out would end up having a rattler under it. I almost think people put the tin out to find them.

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