80 THE AMERICAN MIDLAND NATURALIST 



Vinton County: Pike Run, Eagle Twp. (TZS 979). Williams County: Still- 

 water River, near Edgerton Dam (UMMZ 63996). Wood County: Opposite Mau- 

 mee; opposite Waterville (TZS 915-8). 



Habitat and Habits. — The queen snake is common and widely distributed 

 in Ohio. It is decidedly aquatic and was not taken at any great distance from 

 some body of water. It prefers slow moving or shallow rocky streams, but 

 it also occurs about ponds, lakes, the abandoned canals and less often, per- 

 haps, along the major rivers of the state. Specimens are often seen resting 

 or sunning themselves upon logs, driftwood or trees overhanging the water 

 into which they drop when approached. They are wary and some skill in 

 stalking is usually necessary to catch them; some may be rushed successfully 

 but the collector is as apt as not to get nothing but a bath for his trouble. 

 Once in the water they dive to the bottom and usually attempt to secrete 

 themselves in the mud or under any sheltering object. If the water is muddy 

 or filled with aquatic vegetation there is little chance of seeing them again 

 but in clear shallow places they can be followed and driven from one hiding 

 place to another until caught. 



A favorite shelter is under stones or logs which lie partially submerged 

 along the water's edge. Rocky streams are often well populated and systematic 

 overturning of the stones and detritus along these often revealed numerous 

 queen snakes along with common water snakes, crayfish, small fishes and the 

 larvae of aquatic insects. In this manner two collectors obtained 26 queen 

 snakes in less than a half hour in the Huron River at Monroeville, Huron 

 County, August 29, 1932. 



A study of the records indicative of the relative abundance of the queen 

 snake and the water snake (Natrix s. sipedon) shows that the latter is the 

 more widely distributed in the state and was collected much more frequently 

 than the former. In a number of streams, however, and especially those in 

 many parts of southern and eastern Ohio the queen snake was found to out- 

 number the water snake two or three to one. 



When a specimen is first captured the musk glands are freely used and the 

 snake ordinarily struggles vigorously to escape. Some make no attempt to bite, 

 but others strike repeatedly, although the teeth are too small to do more than 

 break the skin. 



Specimens were collected from April to October inclusive but there was 

 little seasonal variation; they were taken as commonly in midsummer as in 

 spring. At least two factors may contribute to this even distribution. First, 

 the aquatic nature of the habitat provides more or less the same conditions 

 throughout the season and even in cases of drought the snakes congregate 

 about the remaining pools of water or work downstream to a more favored 

 location. Second, in summer and early fall when the height and density of 

 the vegetation makes collecting unproductive in most areas, the collector can 

 wade stream beds and find aquatic reptiles in evidence. 



No notes are available on hibernation but a specimen was found lying on 

 the ice on the surface of a creek in Lucas County on January 18, 1931. After 

 being warmed it appeared to be in good condition and in fact it lived in cap- 



