Cassidy Gale, Wetlands Easement, Restoration, and Outreach Planner with VACD, and Stephi Drago, Wetlands Biologist with NRCS, recently headed out to Hinesburg to install new “Snake Hotels” at a Wetlands Reserve Easement. These structures, designed by Jim Andrews of the Vermont Reptile and Amphibian Atlas, support native snake habitat across the state. Modeled after lumber piles, snakes seek out for cover, these structures are topped with rubber matting to both protect the wood structure from rot and absorb heat from the sun to create warmer temperatures for the snakes. Installing these structures in early successional wetland habitats with vegetation nearby provides ideal conditions for snakes to make use of them. With more snakes utilizing the “hotels”, they will serve as valuable monitoring tools for snake populations throughout the state.
Checking Out a Snake Hotel
