Almost as low as a snake’s shadow

That would be a snake’s belly.  And unless said snake is lying upside down, a trick for which snakes are not renowned, one that is seldom exposed (what is upside down for a snake? Another brainteaser for another day).  Thus I asked myself recently, why would a snake have a red belly.  Surely such a colorful characteristic must be designed for show.

You see, I had discovered a red-bellied snake while mowing my lawn on Sunday.  I am as curious about snakes and other critters as I am about birds, but not as knowledgeable, so I had to reach for my guide to reptiles and amphibians.  Red belly – check.  Pale spots on the hind neck – check.  Keeled scales – check (if you flip your binoculars about and look through them from the wrong end, they function very well as a magnifying glass.  This little trick enabled me to see the raised keels on the tiny scales of this small, 10-inch snake).

It took me a few minutes to make sure the little beastie wasn’t the similar ringneck snake, but eventually I was assured of its identity.  It was a first for me, and especially exciting to have one in my yard.  But back to the red belly.  This might at first seem to be as useless as teats on a bull given that a snakes belly rarely if ever sees the light of day.  However, experience tells me that there is precious little in the natural world without reason or rationale.  I began to ponder on pigment.  Some birds, especially seagulls, have dark wingtips.  Studies have shown that the dark pigment, melanin in the case of birds, has antimicrobial properties, and thus preserves the vulnerable and extremely important flight feathers.  Perhaps this might explain the presence of pigment on the snake’s belly, an antifungal agent right where one is needed.  Or perhaps the red pigment, likely a carotenoid of some sort, is cheaper for the body to produce than the darker pigments on the snakes back.  Or maybe, just maybe, the red-bellied snake does occasionally get to show off its red belly, perhaps during mating.  As you can see, I have far more questions this week than answers, but that’s ok once in a while.  If anyone knows the right answer, drop me an email.

In addition to the red-bellied snake, we have ten other varieties in New Hampshire; northern water snake, common garter snake, eastern ribbon snake, brown snake, ringneck snake, smooth green snake, milk snake, eastern hognose snake, racer, and timber rattlesnake.  All but the last one are completely harmless to humans, and the timber rattler does not have especially potent venom.  It is also extremely rare and a protected species in New Hampshire.  Snakes eat rodents and insects and they play a valuable role in our ecosystem.  Hard as it might be to counter popular culture, snakes are your friends, especially if you tend vegetables or flowers (think of all those pesky bugs that eat your produce).

I will sign off with a bit of news.  I now work for the Harris Center (www.harriscenter.org) on Kings Highway in Hancock as a land protection specialist.  It’s a great organization doing great work, and you are welcome to drop by and pick up a newsletter, which, among other things, advertises a seemingly endless number of field trips and programs that take place most weekends.