Say 'Hello' To Canton Nature Center's Little Friend

CANTON, CT — When most folks seek a warm environment for the winter, they usually go south.

But what do you do if yo u're a snake living in Connecticut?

Generally, you hibernate. But even snakes can get some seasonal insomnia.

Just ask the folks at the Roaring Brook Nature Center, located on 70 Gracey Road, Canton.

That's because an Eastern garter snake discovered late last fall at the Roaring Brook Nature Center is spending the winter at the facility’s wildlife clinic and will be released once warmer weather returns, the center announced this week.

The snake, identified as an Eastern Garter Snake (Thamnophis sirtalis sirtalis), was found in November by Jay Kaplan on the nature center’s property.

Because the discovery came late in the season and a cold snap was approaching, staff decided the small reptile would have a better chance of survival by remaining indoors through the winter rather than attempting to hibernate outside.

The snake has since been housed in the nature center’s Wildlife Clinic at the Gracey Road facility in Canton, where it continues to live under staff care.

Nature center staff said the animal will be released into a suitable habitat on the property once temperatures become consistently warm enough in the spring.

Roaring Brook Nature Center periodically provides care for injured or vulnerable wildlife and returns animals to the wild when conditions allow.

For more information on the Roaring Brook Nature Center, click on this link.