Creature Encounter: Rubber Boa!
Today, after work I went on a walk in one of my very favourite places, the dog loop of the Grey Canal Trail. Having forgotten my cellphone at home this morning and having not planned at all on any hiking after work, I had nothing to document my adventures with, which would prove a bit of a shame, as the weather was glorious; but more than that, it would have been cool to show you guys a photo of what I found.Â
Following my hike, I decided to try to find the northern end of the Grey Canal which I had visited but once, so I drove around, discovering a road which plunged high up onto the mountain, higher up than I expected. It eventually terminated in a gravel private driveway in the next district over, so I cut a sharp turn (Toyota Yaris are great for that,) and made my way back to more familiar byways. As I was coming back down the hill, I noticed a dull glint in the opposite lane which I had just driven over. My attention caught, I saw a serpentine line on the pavement - a snake!Â
Suspecting a garter snake but with an inkling of something greater, quickly pulled over, I ran back up the hill and found my tiny friend unmoved from where I had passed it. To my absolute delight, it was no common garter or bull snake, but an endangered rubber boa (Charina bottae)! Tremendously thrilled, I stood and admired the beautiful animal, which was the colour of rich milk chocolate all over, with none of the intricate markings of boas found elsewhere. In fact, rubber boas are the most northerly boas in the world and in Canada, they’re in danger from habitat loss - and from roads, like the one it was trying to enjoy the sun on. I noted how the end of its tail was fat and blunt, almost looking like a second false head, a cool survival adaptation surely developed to trick predators.Â
Relieved that it was unhurt despite its ill chosen basking spot on the warm asphalt, I realized that I needed to do something to help the fascinating creature avoid running into vehicular trouble. Having watched a vast plethora of documentaries in my day and having long been an admirer of snakes, I decided to first try picking it up by its tail so to carry it to the side of the road in the direction which the snake’s nose was pointing. Upon touching it though, it jerked in surprise and I lost my nerve - shame, because it was a very amiable little wild creature. I doubt that it would have bitten me (and if it had, things would have been fine, because rubber boas are completely harmless to humans being tiny constrictors. It was barely the length of three quarters of my arm.) Thus, I quickly thought up a Plan B - grabbing a small, twiggy stick from the shoulder and seeing if I could pick it up that way. Finding first a root, still strongly connected to its mother tree, I grimaced and discovered a twig close by.
Fortunately, as I turned around I saw that my small new friend had decided to take matters into its own coils; I had sufficiently annoyed it with my brief touch into convincing it to leave. (Perhaps next time it encounters a road it will recall the large irritating upright animal with the twig and move on to sun itself somewhere else?) So, I moved on to Plan C; shepherding the tiny adult boa across the road and seeing it safely to the other side. The boa glided smoothly across the pavement and I happily watched it disappear into the undergrowth on the other side. I paused to admire it for a moment longer, delighting in its cute flicking tongue and inquisitive face, then I left it in peace, continuing on with my drive.
Definitely a cool creature! ♥
And yeah - I did discover the north end portion of the Grey Canal Trail after I found the snake. I’ll try to make sure that I have my camera or at least my cellphone when I go to hike it finally so that you guys can see. :)
