Neeru the Nerodia Sipedon

[infernalis]

If anyone remembers, I witnessed a gravid water snake fishing and eating. (she's a familiar sight back at camp, Chomper tried to catch her last summer)

She had her litter!! Saw her today (there is only one small pool of water, and it's all hers) and she has that deflated look typical of a female that just dropped her kids.

So I am walking along and wow, there is one of her babies just basking.

With this terrible drought we are experiencing, the outlook for these newborns is grim, so I made the decision that at least this one will not have to suffer, It's settling in right now, I'll offer some live minnows tomorrow.

I am still torn between just keeping it and feeding it until the water comes back, or making it a permanent resident.

So this is another first for me, I have never seen a neonate water snake in the wild that was roughly 24 hours old or less.

I'll get some pictures in a little while.

Thanks for reading my post.

[guidofatherof5]

Looking forward to seeing some photos.

[ProXimuS]

Looking forward to seeing some photos.

I second that Glad this little one's got a good spot for a little while, at least.

[infernalis]

I second that Glad this little one's got a good spot for a little while, at least.

one side of my brain says "don't mess with nature" the other side feels sorry for the babies and the elderly when these weather conditions exist.

[snake man]

You gotta do waht you gotta do.

[jaleely]

Hard choice! Needs pics to decide!!
hehe

[Light of Dae]

I say ...
1. Keep it, help the little guy out, give him(or her) a good life, spoil the thing rotten! lol
2. WE NEED PICTURES!
3. Find another baby and keep it too so at lest he/she has a buddie.
4. Still needing pictures here Wayne ....
5. IF it turns out you have a pair then breed them n release the babies(maybe not all...) to help out the wild population!
6. Do you even have to guess what else I'm going to say... It's going to be about a lack of pictures... and that we are still waiting for some ....? PICTURES!

[chris-uk]

The mother has been around your place for a while, so obviously it's a good patch. If the summer is particularly harsh it would be a shame to risk not having a water snake around because of the bad weather. Give it a feed until the conditions improve, then you have a decision to make.

[EasternGirl]

I think you did the right thing taking them in. I agree with "don't mess with nature" but I also know that nature can be cruel sometimes...and I think that is our cue to intervene. I took Ziggy from a pretty nice habitat...but nice aside, he would have been eaten by foxes.

[infernalis]

I think you did the right thing taking them in. I agree with "don't mess with nature" but I also know that nature can be cruel sometimes...and I think that is our cue to intervene. I took Ziggy from a pretty nice habitat...but nice aside, he would have been eaten by foxes.

don't foxes deserve to eat too?

not trying to be a douche here, but I never mess with the food chain, otherwise I would be shooting crows all day long.

photos uploading in a moment..