Snakes and Spiders in Canada?
 

I thought with the cold winter, Snakes and Spiders wouldn't be seen much in Canada (I'm looking at moving to Alberta) but was reading about a Brit who found a Garter snake in his garden recently.

Are there many other Snakes and/or Spiders around, and if so are they poisonous, and how likely is it to comes across one?

Picture of the snake is just down from the top

http://lyndon001.blogspot.com/

Re: Snakes and Spiders in Canada?
 

Prairie rattlesnakes are common in Alberta. And particularly Lethbridge. Also common in BC interior. Black widow spiders are found in some portions too.

Re: Snakes and Spiders in Canada?
 

Sorry when i say common, i mean they exsist there, but there are acctually not many of them so sorry. :o

Re: Snakes and Spiders in Canada?
 

Probably just as likely to find a snake in your garden in the UK....

Re: Snakes and Spiders in Canada?
 

Thats what I thought, then I saw the picture of the Garter!

I obviously don't know anything about reptiles - but what do they do in the winter? I thought most had to stay warm?

Re: Snakes and Spiders in Canada?
 

They hide in all the retired people's suitcases and accompany them to Hawaii :rofl:

Re: Snakes and Spiders in Canada?
 

I'm trying my best to eliminate all wildlife from the ecosystems of Canada... especially the ugly wildlife as they serve no purpose... I guess the cute bunnies and baby deers can stay. Join me in my fight to make Canada's natural world into managed, regulated, sanitized and hermetically sealed wonder-parks for future generations to enjoy... if they can afford the entry fee.

Oooops :unsure:

Re: Snakes and Spiders in Canada?
 

I regularly see garter snakes in our hay field and around the property (got a squished one on our driveway too). Rattlers are quite common in the interior of BC too.

Re: Snakes and Spiders in Canada?
 

NO NO NO NO NO NEVER!!!!!
http://www.pbase.com/hangman/image/64155135.jpg

Re: Snakes and Spiders in Canada?
 

Not over here haha
So anything like that is a complete shock to me

Re: Snakes and Spiders in Canada?
 

Just like to say, the only snakes I have seen in Alberta are the ones in the Reptile shops. There are some pretty odd looking bugs though!

Re: Snakes and Spiders in Canada?
 

is that a pine beetle?

Re: Snakes and Spiders in Canada?
 

That's just a tad large for a Mountain Pine Beetle (see below).

http://www.se.gov.sk.ca/media/Saskat...line/adult.jpg

Re: Snakes and Spiders in Canada?
 

It's a cloud beetle... they fall from heaven... and crawl down the back of your shirt, dig a hole into the flesh of your lower back and lay 1000s of eggs. The eggs hatch and the babies march 2-by-2 back up your spine and crawl into your ears. Then they chew on your brain for sustenance.

Aint that right Steve_P?

Re: Snakes and Spiders in Canada?
 

OMG made me jump that pic just popping up;) Good job i've not got a phobia:rofl:

Re: Snakes and Spiders in Canada?
 

Huh?:confused:

Mrs_P here: It seems they already got to him. :rofl::rofl::rofl:

Re: Snakes and Spiders in Canada?
 

Apparently we get black widow spiders in Kelowna....

Re: Snakes and Spiders in Canada?
 

You most definitely do :)

I grew up in Vernon and we had them there too.

The biggest spiders I ever saw (except in the pet store) were in Victoria. A body the size of a dime. Maybe.

Re: Snakes and Spiders in Canada?
 

There are black widows on the Sunshine Coast as well. They make a very satisfying splat when you hit them with a hammer.

Re: Snakes and Spiders in Canada?
 

I was thinking of a less satisfying 'OMG' and then a scream for my husband to deal with the critter.
Is this not the way to go?

Re: Snakes and Spiders in Canada?
 

Oh pleasssse dont start the snake thread up again:eek:...in fact I forbid you to. Well thats a bit strong, I just wont be able to read anymore of this thread. Have a look here and you will understand

Re: Look what came into our garden last night
Ps that was supposed to be a link....NOT...but search for that thread yourself...you wont want to miss it.

Re: Snakes and Spiders in Canada?
 

Thank God for St Patrick:rofl:

Re: Snakes and Spiders in Canada?
 

i hear newfoundland has no snakes

Re: Snakes and Spiders in Canada?
 

Nope, that's def not a pine beetle...we're sadly far too familiar with those little b@$tards around here, and that's not one. I think that one's called a Spruce beetle.

Re: Snakes and Spiders in Canada?
 

Yep and here is a picture of our first sighting right on our garage door.

http://i118.photobucket.com/albums/o.../Spider003.jpg

Re: Snakes and Spiders in Canada?
 

Oh so hes been there too .... :lol:

Re: Snakes and Spiders in Canada?
 

Recently seen around the house:

Re: Snakes and Spiders in Canada?
 

There are snakes and spiders in Nova Scotia but I am told none of them are poisonous. We found quite a large grass snake in our garden the other day. A neighbor assured me it was harmless so after the kids played with it for a while we put it in the bushes safely out of the way of predators.

Re: Snakes and Spiders in Canada?
 

played with it??? what?? hide and seek?? did it know the rules?

Re: Snakes and Spiders in Canada?
 

Snakes exist all over Canada, both on land and in some lakes.

Most are not poisonous, but some are, I don't think there has been a fatality in the last 100 years.

Australia, on the other hand, is full of bugs, vermin, snakes, spiders, many of which can easily kill you.

These critters will actually attack you and bite you.

Recently, in the outback of Australia, a line man was bitten at the end of his penis as he relieved himself.

His Partner put a frantic call into the Medical Centre for advice, the instructions were to make a 1/2 inch cut , suck the venom out.

The message that was relayed back to the bitten Lineman, Doc says you're gonna die.

Re: Snakes and Spiders in Canada?
 

i grew up on canada and when we had alot of spiders in the house we just went out and got chestnuts put them in a dish on the side and wow no spiders
i do it in the uk also and some people think im nuts but hay it works and i dont have to deal with them
like to keep green so use orange peel in your garden to keep cats and racoons away, a plastic white bag on a stick to keep the deer away
cucumber peal or chalk for aunts and tell your oh no beer allowed in the house and he stays also:eek:

Re: Snakes and Spiders in Canada?
 

Pity they hadn't a few ladders:D

If I found a large grass snake in my garden...I would probably be lying untop of it in a dead faint:eek:

Re: Snakes and Spiders in Canada?
 

[QUOTE=cj36_ca;5277781]i grew up on canada and when we had alot of spiders in the house we just went out and got chestnuts put them in a dish on the side and wow no spiders
i do it in the uk also and some people think im nuts but hay it works and i dont have to deal with them
like to keep green so use orange peel in your garden to keep cats and racoons away, a plastic white bag on a stick to keep the deer away
cucumber peal or chalk for aunts and tell your oh no beer allowed in the house and he stays also:eek:[/QUOTE

wow, a surreal post

Re: Snakes and Spiders in Canada?
 

I've just spat coffee over my keyboard at the idea you can keep aunts away with cucumber peel. Yes, I know it was a typo, and I'm not having a go at that, but I just had this image pop into my head of an elderly spinster throwing up her hands as she walks up the driveway and saying "oh, Heavens-to-Betsy, look at all that cucumber peel, I can't possibly stay here."

I wonder if it works for mothers-in-law too, or if it's just aunts!

Re: Snakes and Spiders in Canada?
 

My SIL found one in her garden in the UK. It was an adder actually. It was caught up in the netting on the pond and the cat was playing with it. Well she freaked out, ran inside, hyperventilating. Rang my brother at work and told him to come home to deal with it. He refused. She rang her brother and made him come round to deal with it. He wasnt keen, but he did something with a stick and pushed it back into the woods. SIL hasnt been out in the garden much lately! :rofl:

Re: Snakes and Spiders in Canada?
 

I loved it, and the chalk too, wonderful imagery.

Re: Snakes and Spiders in Canada?
 

Am I alone in being unable to hear or read the phrase "Heavens to Betsy" without thinking "Birdy" and feeling a creeping smile?

Re: Snakes and Spiders in Canada?
 

Is it only the smile that creeps?

Re: Snakes and Spiders in Canada?
 

It's a euphemistic smile.

Re: Snakes and Spiders in Canada?
 

I agree, lovely mental images! The chalk makes more sense - you can imagine a sort of Miss-Marple-crossed-with-Hyacinth-Bucket character being so overcome with emotion at the sight of a hopscotch game chalked on the sidewalk that she storms off into the sunset, never to be seen again...