From the ashes of wildfires, the #snakes of Canada's north slither on. #NWT hosts Northernmost population of #GarterSnakes in #NorthAmerica.
After a long winter cold winter, #wildlife in the North is chomping at the bit to get out and enjoy the short summer. Those shaking off their winter topor range from bears to frogs and even snakes.
A #subspecies known as the #RedSidedGarter , the serpents have a number of adaptations and behaviours that make living in the North feasible. For one, they winter in large mounds, gathering together by the dozens. This helps offset their "cold blood" — which simply means they're body temperature is the same as the area around them. In the summer, they leave their traditional mounds to hunt, sometimes up to five kilometres away, then return to the same spot every winter.
