Diet and Natural History: A slug meanders under the rock of a small outcrop. The smell of its mucus attracts the attention of a small red-bellied snake. The snake bites onto the slimy body of the slug and swallows it with ease. Because they feed largely on slugs and other invertebrates, red-bellied snakes do not have to travel far to find food. They rely on microhabitats, areas within about 500 metres (~1640ft) from their hibernation site which has access to prey and areas to bask. This small range also makes these snakes susceptible to habitat loss as small development can easily destroy entire populations of these beautiful snakes.
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Hibernation: As days get colder and frost begins to appear, snakes head to their hibernacula, areas below the frost line where they will sleep through the winter. Hibernacula are often deep cracks or tunnels in the bedrock. For red-bellied snakes and the closely related Dekay's brown snake, hibernacula can also be the hives of ants and termites. While these hives do not often go below the frostline, they are kept artificially heated by the ants and termites. The ants do not attack their snake squatter and get nothing in return. If a predator were to go after the snake during the winter, it would have to go through the termites or ants which put up a fight in order to protect their hive and young. This way, the snake stays protected until spring.
Sources:
Cairns, Nicholas A., et al. "Morphology, Reproduction, Habitat Use, and Hibernation of Red-Bellied Snake (Storeria occipitomaculata) Near its Northern Range Limit." The Canadian Field Naturalist, The Ottawa Field Naturalists' Club, 2018, www.canadianfieldnaturalist.ca/index.php/cfn/article/view/2054. Accessed 17 Nov. 2021. "Red-Bellied Snake." Ontario Nature, 2021, ontarionature.org/programs/community-science/reptile-amphibian-atlas/red-bellied-snake/. Accessed 17 Nov. 2021. |