#snakeblr

[errantsquam]

[smol-lizord]

Taking photos of snakes is a lot harder than you’d think 😂😭

[hogteeth]

dig mandate

[iloveabortions]

[geosgaymer]

Think I'm starting to get sick, but in other news: Meet Typhon!

[nohiketoosmall]

Do you live in Illinois? Please read <3

The Kirtland's Snake (Clonophis kirtlandii) is a Midwestern snake that lives in wetlands and grasslands. It is threatened, endangered, or extirpated (locally extinct) throughout its range. The species was rejected from "endangered species" status but will be reconsidered in the next two years.

Photo credit x

The Kirtland's Snake has been found in a preserve in Will County, Illinois (just south of Chicago), but a permit filed by the County indicates they plan to pave a trail straight through its critical wetland habitat.

Figure 2 from here showing untouched habitat they will be paving through. This is from the Incidental Take permit.

The "Incidental Take" refers to the individuals that will die as a result of this plan. The "Incidental take" in this case is estimated to be 3 snakes because they found 3 in the planned construction zone, but this does not consider 1. the small gene pool/population size 2. the loss of prey from damage to the wetlands (from wetland pollution and soil compression) and 3. overall habitat decreasing and 4. direct injury from human persons ie being run over by bikes or stepped on.

Photo from IDNR fact sheet, source

If you are a nature lover please consider emailing DNR.ITACoordinator@Illinois.gov , the Department of Natural Resources Incidental Take Authorization coordinator, and ask them to reconsider and strengthen protections for threatened species like this!

[starsreverie]

Maybe if I sit perfectly still, I can catch myself a birthday bird...

[confirmedgeckos]

Toast in the crab apple tree!

[deathfeigning]

check out this dekay's brownsnake! a tiny beast with a crazy long tongue :p

[claypigeonpottery]

sold

a sweet little wingy snake commission

love the texture on this one

[errantsquam]

snek cooking

[oatmeal-and-grits]

it's Wednesday my dudes

wwwwwaaaAHHHHHHHHHH

[mossiestpiglet]

Admire my beautiful *checks notes* green tree python

[antifascism]

boelen's python. source: emperor_eye777

[organicmatter]

he is like a small dog to me

[hogteeth]

Now I know why he's been so skittish, even with 90% humidity the dingus likes basking too much and ends up getting himself too crispy to shed properly. He got a stuck eye cap. Time to make spaget

Dropping them in the bathtub full of water is a bad idea, but sometimes your snek will be dumb and get crispy no matter how high the humidity is, and will need some help. His soil is moist, digital readings at 85-90% throughout the day, it just happens when they nap too long in the heat (his temps are fine too, 95-75 °F across the enclosure). I can't raise the humidity any higher to where it would make a difference in what already occured, and it's causing him stress to not see out of one eye.

A snek sauna where you saturate a towel in warm water and put them in a tupperware or pot if they're too big with the lid cracked for air lets the shed hydrate with minimal stress, and they rub it off themselves without much invasiveness. Even if it doesn't come off while they're in the pot, they'll probably rub it off in the enclosure. If not, can repeat for 10-15 mins a day until it does.

If you notice them freaking tf out, let em out, but it's not that stressful usually