60 



The Canadian Field-Naturalist 



[Vol. XXXJII 



A RATTLESNAKE, MELANO GARTER SNAKES AND OTHER REPTILES 



FROM POINT PELEE, ONTARIO* 



By Clyde L. Patch, Ottawa, Ont. 



Point Pelee, Essex County, Ont. the most 

 southern point in Canada is about six miles wide 

 at the base and, pointing southward, extends nine 

 miles out into Lake Erie, ending in a sand bar. 

 A shore line map of the point somewhat resembles 

 an outline drawing of a funnel. 



The human population is comprised of about a 

 dozen families, fifty per cent of whom devote their 

 time to agricultural pursuits, while the other half 

 gain a livelihood by commercial fishing. This 

 locality might prove of archaeological interest, as 

 Indian skeletons and pottery are from time to 

 time uncovered by the ploM- or the sand-shifting 

 winds. 



Point Pelee's point and west shore are wooded, 

 while the east shore is for miles a low-sloping 

 sandy beach a hundred or more feet in width, 

 crowned by a fringe of willows which separates it 

 from several square miles of marsh. The east 

 beach is an ideal resting ground for the Piping 

 Plover, and a most inviting point of stop-over for 

 migrating waders. The marsh, with its several 

 open ponds, is a feeding ground for migrant water- 

 fowl and on or near it many resident species nest 

 Black Duck, Teal, Florida Gallinule, Least 

 Bittern, Black Tern, Long-billed Marsh Wren, etc. 

 The waters of the marsh are inhabited by various 

 species of fishes of which the Dogfish (Amia) is 

 probably the most plentiful. An interesting sight 

 is a swarm of black, young Dogfish in a spherical 

 mass formation two feet in diameter, and beneath 

 the parent lurking like a bull-dog on guard. 



Owing to the geographical situation of Point 

 Pelee, many plant and animal forms found no- 

 where else, or only sparingly, in other parts of 

 Canada here thrive in profusion. A floral list 

 would include such southern tree forms as the 

 Chestnut, Tulip, Walnut, Paw paw, and the Mul- 

 berry, which grows to a height of twenty-five feet 

 and bears delicious thimbleberry-like fruit. Among 

 the lower growing forms can be listed the Spice- 

 bush, the Wafer Ash and the Prickley Pear 

 Cactus, which grows in beds sometimes ten feet 

 in diameter and bears beautiful lemon-yellow 

 flowers each of which lasts only for a day. 



The fauna of Point Pelee equals the flora in 

 interest, for here the Cardinal nests, and the Yel- 

 low-breasted Chat and the Mocking Bird are found, 



Published by permission of tlie Geological 

 Survey of Canada. 



an 



d the Turkey Buzzard, scavenger of the south 

 lands is not infrequently seen soaring aloft. 



Among the Red Cedars which cover about fifty 

 per cent of the wooded land, the Damon Butterfly 

 is sought by entomologists, and in the open places 

 the Ajax Butterfly has been taken. 



Baird's Mouse is common under the drift-wood 

 on the beaches and until recently the Cotton-tail 

 Rabbit was conspicuous on the evening landscape. 



With life so rich and varied one might expect 

 to find the class Reptilia well represented, and so 



it IS. 



In 1913, the writer spent the three summer 

 months on Point Pelee as a member of a Biological 

 field party from the Victoria Memorial Museum. 

 During this period fifty-nine reptiles representing 

 eight species were collected. The following list 

 includes in addition three species not collected at 

 this time: 



1. Blue-tailed skink, Plestiodon fasciatus. 

 Common under the drift-wood on the beaches, 



where it deposits its eggs in the rotting wood. 

 Among the nine specimens taken the old adult 

 color phase (olive-brown body with coppery-red 

 head) is represented by only one individual. The 

 largest specimen measures six and seven-eighths 

 inches in length. 



2. HoG-NOSED SNAKE, Heterodort conioTtrix. 

 Common on the sandy-soiled, sparsely timbered 



areas. Among the six specimens taken, color phases 

 varying from yellow with dark brown markings to 

 almost black are represented. The largest in- 

 dividual measures thirty-two inches. 



3. Bu^CK RACER SNAKE, Coluber c. constrictor. 

 This species is represented in the Museum 



herpetological collection by a skin taken on Point 

 Pelee, in 1906, by Mr. P. A. Taverner. Judging 

 by the skin, the specimen from which it was taken 

 was about six feet in length. 



4. Fox SNAKE, Elaphe vulpina. 



Common on the beaches, where the eggs are de- 

 posited under the dead wood. Apparently several 

 individuals sometimes place their eggs in the same 

 site, as on one occasion three specimens and half a 

 bushel of eggs were found under a section of log. 

 On emission the eggs are coated with an adhesive 

 fluid which causes them to adhere and form masses. 

 The largest individual taken measures four feet 

 nine inches. 



5. Garter snake, Thamnophis s. sirtalis. 



Of the serpents on Point Pelee this is the most 



