Fall Snake Migration in Vermont
Fall is an ideal time to see snakes and help document what types of snakes are in your area. The first hard frosts of autumn are the signal to many species of snakes that they need to move to their upland denning locations. Although the first hard frost is the signal, the snakes won’t move until a warm sunny day following it. So, after the frost, on the first day when the temperature rises into the 60’s and the sun is out, many species of snakes will warm up enough to start moving uphill. If you walk or bike on quiet roads that come between an overgrown wet field or beaver meadow and an upland rocky hardwood stand, you may be lucky enough to see many small snakes moving across the road. Sadly, many get hit while crossing or sunning on the road surface. So, feel free to help them across and please photograph each species and report them to iNaturalist Vermont. At the end of each season, we share all reptile and amphibian data to Jim Andrews at the Vermont Reptile and Amphibian Atlas - http://vtherpatlas.org.