Muskoka Wildlife Centre





  
American Toad
Viber
Badger
Dozer
Sandy
Bald Eagle
Thorondor
Hal
Izumi
Barn Owl
Barney (a.k.a. Moonface)
Silo
Beaver
Woodrow
Millie
Black Bear
Kootenay
Black Rat Snake
Kingston
Licorice
Blanding's Turtle
Oliver
Emy (not on display)
Bobcat
Rufus
Box Turtle
Murtle
Broad-winged Hawk
Hawksley
Bull Frog
Fergus
Pavarotti
Cottontail Rabbit
Peter
Cougar
Kokanee
Eastern Fox Snake
Copper
Fisher
Mike
Five-Lined Skink
Liz
Flying Squirrel
Pixie
Great Horned Owl
Dr. Hoo (not on display)
Grey Tree Frog
Leaf
Twiggy
Groundhog/Woodchuck
Clover
Kestrel
Punk
Lynx
Yeti
Marten
Conifer
Milk Snake
Skim
Moose
Chocolate
Lucky
Opossum
Indiana
Painted Turtle
Raphael
Willamina
Porcupine
Quillber
Thistle
Raccoon
Zorro
Dawn
Raven
Edgar
Nevermore
Red Fox
Renard
Red-tailed Hawk
Will Scarlet (not on display)
Saw-whet Owl
Luna
Snapping Turtle
Sam
Junior (not on display)
Stinkpot Turtle
Lily (not on display)
Striped Skunk
Flower
Aroma
Turkey Vulture
Barfalomew (not on display)
Wolf
Montana
Nikita
Akayla
Wolverine
Hyde
Gulo
Wood Turtle
Oakley


H2O the Northern Watersnake

Born: Unknown
Sex:
  H2O was born in captivity and came to us from a reptile education company.

Northern Watersnake (Nerodia sipedon)

Average Size: Average Weight:
61-140 cm (24-55 in)
Average Lifespan: Range:
3-10 years central to southern Ontario

Dining and Dwelling

Life and Death

The Northern Watersnake will feed on many of the creatures they find in or around the water such as frogs, fish, crayfish and salamanders.

These snakes live in or around water. They are most commonly found in areas such as swamps, marshes, bogs, streams, ponds, and lakes. They also overwinter in an underground den called a hibernaculum.

Male and Female watersnakes come together and mate in the spring and the young are born in midsummer. A brood may be from 10 to 20 snakes.

The northern watersnake tends to be a little less wary of people than other snakes and have been to known to approach and scare swimmers. Humans are, therefore, one of the predators of the Northern Watersnake. Other predators of these snakes are birds of prey, raccoons and other snakes.

That's Amazing

  • Although they rarely bite, northern watersnakes have very large teeth in proportion to their head, when compared to other snakes
  • They have an anticoagulant in their saliva which causes prey to bleed more when bitten.