MVFN Nature Notebook sighting received January 25, 2018
“The attached photo shows a Garter Snake that we were surprised to see on a recent hike (20th Jan 2018) while snow shoeing in the Marlborough Forest.
The temperature was above zero at about 3 degrees C. Perhaps the sudden change from much lower temperatures or excess melt water caused the snake to leave its hibernaculum.”
Howard Robinson
Note: the Garter Snake was very much alive. Howard took a short video recording and the snake can be seen moving across the snow and flicking it’s forked tongue (see video still image below).

