Seventeen species of snakes live in New York, including several that can be found in and around Lake Ontario.
Snakes play a critical role in their environments, primarily by their position within the food chain, as predators and within natural communities, according to the SUNY College of Environmental Science and Forestry. While effective predators of various pests, snakes feed other animals including bird of prey like hawks, eagles and owls as well as mammals including foxes and raccoons, according to Britannica.
Here’s more on all the snakes to look for in and around Lake Ontario:
The most common snakes in New York
New York’s most common snakes are among those that can be found in and around Lake Ontario: the water snake and the garter snake. Both snakes are the most frequent and widely encountered snakes and are “completely harmless” to people, according to the state Department of Environmental Conservation.
The garter snake lives in a wide variety of habitats – from woodlands to marshes to fields – and are variable in color and pattern but are usually brown or green, according to the SUNY College of Environmental Science and Forestry. Garter snakes typically grow up to 2 feet long.
The water snake is found in and around nearly any waterbody or wetland in the state. It’s up to 42 inches long and is typically dark colored snake with lighter bands.
Other snakes found near Lake Ontario
These snakes are found in Lake Ontario and along the shoreline areas in counties bordering the Great Lake, according to the DEC:
About Lake Ontario
The five Great Lakes -– Lake Superior, Lake Huron, Lake Michigan, Lake Erie and Lake Ontario – hold one-fifth of the planet’s freshwater. In all, the lakes span 94,250 square miles and hold more than 5,400 cubic miles of water.
Lake Ontario is the smallest Great Lake and encompasses 7,340 square miles of water. New York and Ontario both border the lake, which has a maximum depth of 802 feet. The easternmost of the five Great Lakes, Lake Ontario stretches 193 miles in length and 53 miles in width.
These vast lakes formed approximately 14,000 years ago due to climate warming and glacial melting.
This article originally appeared on Rochester Democrat and Chronicle: These snakes live in and around Lake Ontario. See the list
Reporting by Victoria E. Freile, New York Connect Team / Rochester Democrat and Chronicle
USA TODAY Network via Reuters Connect
