anyone watch "Fooled by Nature"

[flakgunner]

hey,
Last night we sat and watched one of the "Fooled by Nature" episodes,five bazaar stories,one is bogus,well last night,the red-sided Gartesnakes from Canada got part of the spot-light,where certain males can fool other males into thinking their a female,odd!,but what was more interesting was showing them emerging in the early spring,rolling out of the cliffs by the hundreds!not only where they crawling on the icey,snow,but they showed them crawling thru mouse tunnels,that the mice dug threw the packed snow,and at this point their blood is the consistency of mayonnaise,Whoa!and they where moving at a pretty good rate.

Joe

[Stefan-A]

Obviously we don't have garters in the wild here, but our adders emerge in pretty much the same condition.

Personally, I think the thing about the males pretending to be females to get an reproductive advantage is the more interesting story. I first read about that a little over a year ago, I think.

[adamanteus]

I've never heard of that programme, maybe we don't get it in the UK. Snakes really are fantastic creatures though, they never cease to amaze me.

[RZL36]

Yeah I saw that too.

On a side note: I heard some stories about snakes leaving their dens during a heatwave we had in January this year (about 20 degrees above average for a week or so).

Anyone else hear this too?

[flakgunner]

Yeah I saw that too.

On a side note: I heard some stories about snakes leaving their dens during a heatwave we had in January this year (about 20 degrees above average for a week or so).

Anyone else hear this too?

hey,
didn't have to hear it,SEEN it!!few years back,we got hit with a early winter,cooler October,very cold November,yet,about the second week of December,we had a few warm! days,low 60's,and a couple of our Western Plains Garter Snakes where out,also its not uncommon for them to start coming out around mid-March,basking in the sun,even with small areas of snow in the shady areas.

Joe

[flakgunner]

I've never heard of that programme, maybe we don't get it in the UK. Snakes really are fantastic creatures though, they never cease to amaze me.

hey,
little info I found on the program,not sure if the episodes can be watched over the internet yet,Ill keep looking,I know our youngest girl watches quite few of her favorites shows past episodes,on the internet.

Animal Planet - Fooled by Nature

Joe

[RZL36]

Hey Joe,

What do you think this behavior can be attributed to? I just know when the temperature becomes inconsistent, so will the cold blooded animals propagation rates.

I think it's time for an electric car.

RD

[ssssnakeluvr]

it's not unusual to see them come out that early, have seen several show with them coming out that early and heave read an article or two on it...garters are more cold tolerant than most snakes. And, some males up there in Canada do release female pheremones to distract the other males....

[CrazyHedgehog]

I have read a few articles on this, the males emerge first and await the females, a few of the males will give off a false female pheromone so that all the other males will tire trying to mate with him, (and also waste their sperm) when the females do emerge, he is the male with the most energy, the most ability to mate, ensuring his bloodline!
Nature is odd!