Well it seems like last week was reptile encounter week in my neighborhood (SW Michigan). Early in the week I paddled past two small water snakes. I turned around to try to get a picture of one and even though I kept my eye on it, it somehow disappeared among some fallen trees.

Another day I was on the Paw Paw River and pulled over to take a break. As I pulled to shore I saw something jump into my boat out of the corner of my eye. Then I hear frantic scrambling around and the sound of claws on my boat floor. Disturbing. Then things went quiet so I moved some stuff around in my boat until I saw a toad jump onto my rear flotation tank and hide under the canoe deck. I felt better knowing what it was and where it was. I almost swamped my boat trying to find a spot to stop and release the toad but decided it wasn't worth risking my life so the toad rode with me for a couple more hours and was released at the put-in.

Then another day I'm returning downstream after an upstream paddle and I see a nice medium-sized snapper sunning on a logjam. I stare at it and it freaks out and tumbles towards the water but it got it's arm caught on a limb and flipped upside down, then tumbled some more and finally charged into the water looking thoroughly frazzled. I don't think I've ever seen a turtle get itself upside down before.

So the very next day I'm coming downstream on the St Joseph River moving right along in my Advantage and I surprise a big softshell turtle that climbed up the bank. It freaks out and tumbles off a ledge and ends upside down. It almost righted itself immediately but failed so I started heading to shore to help it. Then it looks like it extends a hydraulic ram and just slowly raises one side higher and higher until it flips over. I think it used it's front arm plus head and neck. So - now I've seen two turtles flip in two days. Both had a light yellow underside.

Two days ago I'm on the Paw Paw again and see a Northern Watersnake that lets me get close to it.



Then yesterday I'm on the St Joseph and pull over to take a break and see that there's a Ratsnake right next to me.



So quite a few memorable reptile encounters in a week. I wonder if it was just coincidence that I had just restored my snake paddle and started using it again.

LOL, that is quite a coincidence...cool paddle. I especially love Mr. Toad goes for a ride!

I know very little about snakes, other than they creep me out...but that Rat Snake sure looks big!

P.S.: I acknowledge that if I knew more about snakes I would probably be less creeped out by them.

Mike

Cool sighting. We’ve got a number of cool snakes in Minnesota, but it seems the only one anyone ever sees is a garter snake, and just maybe a little red bellied snake. It’s really a treat to get to see one of the others.

Wow that Rat snake photo is hair raising, even though I like snakes.

Last summer there was an extremely sociable garter snake (yellow band) in my camp on the North Kawishiwi. He or she was there to greet me as I climbed up to camp and slithered off predictably.

What was crazier was, the snake then came over to watch me pitch my tent in a nice, sheltered, flat spot. When I was finished, she or he came forward again, clearly with friendly intentions, almost like a household pet. I had to speak more roughly than I’d have liked in saying, no, this is my bedroom, you go back to your own bedroom!

I scanned the area for a nest, which I didn’t find. But I moved the tent next day to higher ground and never saw my little friend again.

Funny snake story
We were on the "Lake That Shall Not be Named" and Gunsmoke and Food Nazi wanted to lay out in the sun on a rock. However there was a garter snake sunning itself on the rock thgey wanted to use and since Gunsmoke is deathly afraid of snakes so I was called in to remove the snake. I picked it up and threw it across the bay. A while later both the girls are laughing and screaming. So I ran back to see what was going on. Apparently the snake swam back across the bay and crawled up on Gunsmoke's leg to sun itself while she was laying there on the rock!

MikeinMpls: "I know very little about snakes, other than they creep me out...but that Rat Snake sure looks big!


P.S.: I acknowledge that if I knew more about snakes I would probably be less creeped out by them.


Mike"

No need to worry about Ratsnakes unless you're a chipmunk although I'd agree that a 6-8 foot black snake can be startling. But it's not like they can climb trees.

Grew up in AZ in the 70's, catching lizards and snakes was a favorite pastime before moving to MN in '79. Thought I might be a herpetologist when I grew up.
Loved catching garter snakes, tiger salamanders, and skinks when I arrived here in MN as a 13 year old.

Folks lived on Holand Lake in Eagan for 20 years, and the thing about that house, both garter and milk snakes used to winter in the foundation, so every spring they would make their way into the house. It was a common sight to see my mother walk by in the house with a snake in her hands to release outside.
Had a corn snake as a pet for 22 years until I was 45. I've always dug them creatures.

In 2014 we made our way to Gogebic Lake in the BWCA. I was amazed at the amount of frogs around the campsite.........which lead to me to being not amazed by the number of garter snakes around. Prime hunting grounds.

In camp I was showing a young buck 20 years younger than I how to make a minnow trap out of a empty plastic Coke bottle. He was like "No way that catches anything."
Placed it in the shallow water in some rocks, and the next morning he comes running up all excited...."Look what you caught!"
Well look at that, not one, but two eastern newts. My first ever newt sighting.
I actually just informed the DNR of this because according to their map, there has not been a vouchered post 1960 sighting in that part of northern Cook county.