Keep South Carolina Wild

KECK: A Love Snake Relationship

By Jay Keck, SCWF Habitat Education Manager

Published 9/24/21 in Chapin Magazine

Everyone knows the phrase. Say it with me: “The only good snake is…a dead snake.” Yikes! That’s a little aggressive, don’t you think? –Especially when snakes are such an important part of our ecosystem and provide so much food for wildlife, as well as services to help keep us healthy and free of some diseases. I’ve heard that phrase my entire life, and until recently, I never really thought about why people say it. But then, like many other Americans, I saw episode 8 of the best show known to man, Ted Lasso (season 1) where he talked about curiosity, or the lack thereof, and applied it to our general dislike – or is it fear?– of snakes. So, if you’ll please keep reading, we will tap into your wonderfully curious mind and learn about some of the amazing and beautiful snakes found in Chapin. And maybe, just maybe, you’ll find yourself creating habitat not just for birds and butterflies, but also for our appendageless beauties!

Scarlet Snake – Photo by Parker Gibbons

I understand the fear. One of my favorite comics growing up was Garfield, and I really liked the ones in which he would squish spiders. He was really creative with it too, but a rolled-up newspaper was his go-to weapon against those evil eight-legged creatures. I related; and if memory serves me correctly, my weapon of choice against spiders in my youth was a magazine. I still use a magazine, but after my love affair with the planet began about 10 years ago, I now use it as a catch-and-release tool so that the spider can play out its role in the ecosystem within my family’s property. I can even catch jumping spiders with my hands now, but I’ll save that for a different article. My change in behavior began with curiosity, then education, followed by the application of the knowledge, which I believe is a pretty good formula for overcoming a fear.

So let’s try and quell some of that snake fear by introducing you to some of our smallest, most common, and beautiful non-venomous snakes in our area. Red-bellied snakes are tiny and range in size from 4-10 inches long. The color on the back of the snake has a tremendous amount of variation and can be brown, reddish, or charcoal, with a bright orange or red belly. These snakes can be found under logs, rocks, and in the leaf litter, and mainly eat slugs. Did you hear that gardeners? They eat slugs! We should welcome this beautiful snake to our vegetable gardens! Other small brown snakes include Worm snakes, Earth snakes, and Brown snakes, with Brown snakes sometimes being confused with the Garter snake; one of the more common and well-known snakes in the area, that could be described as – dare I say – pretty. Another tiny (10-15 inches) and stunning snake in Chapin is the Ringneck snake. Unfortunately, for those who would like to see them, they are another species of snake that likes to stay hidden in debris, under logs, or in leaf litter, though occasionally you’ll find one traveling in the open for a brief period of time. If I still haven’t convinced you that snakes are beautiful, please focus your attention to the Scarlet snake, one of our three tri-colored snakes of SC, that sports a bright red, black, and white or yellow coloration. This small snake (20 inches) is another fossorial snake you’ll most likely not encounter unless you actively look for it under logs, rocks, or other debris.

Ringneck Snake photo by Parker Gibbons

Since we’re moving from smallest to largest, at this point we stop measuring snakes in inches and increase the unit of measurement to feet. One of the most abundant and visible non-venomous snakes in Chapin also happens to be one of our largest snakes; the Eastern rat snake whose color changes from region to region. In the Piedmont, it’s typically black, but its color lightens to a grayish color below SC’s Fall Line, and can even appear greenish-yellow with stripes in the coastal plain, especially along the outer edge of the coastal plain. These snakes are typically 3-5 feet long, but can reach lengths to over 6 feet! Their diet consists of mice, lizards, rats, squirrels, birds, and even bird eggs, but before you get upset about the last part, go look in your refrigerator and count how many dozen eggs you have. We currently have 2 dozen eggs in ours. We’re predators. Snakes are predators. We both enjoy eggs… These snakes are excellent climbers and are shaped like a loaf of bread, with a flat belly and rounded back, which gives them the ability to climb walls, poles, and trees! Often, when I think about snakes controlling diseases, I think about the Eastern rat snake and how many small mammals they consume. Many of those mammals carry ticks, and ticks can carry Lyme disease. Recent studies have shown that some snakes consume thousands of ticks each year from the mammals they eat. Eastern rat snake – take a bow.

Yellow Rat Snake photo by Parker Gibbons

Eastern King Snake photo by Parker Gibbons

Other snakes are known as ophiophagic (fancy science word,) meaning they eat other snakes. Eastern kingsnakes, Black racers, and Indigo snakes are some of the species in the southeast that frequently eat other snake species. The Eastern kingsnake is a large (up to 4 feet) gorgeous black snake with white to yellow chain-link bands along its back. They are resistant to pit-viper venom and will eat Copperheads, Cottonmouths, and Rattlesnakes. If you think venomous snakes are “bad” then think of the Eastern kingsnake as being the personal snake version of General Patton. Another long black snake in our area is the Black racer, a slender species that will also eat other snakes, even venomous species, as well as lizards, frogs, birds, and other prey items. When approached Black racers tend to flee quickly, rather than freeze, as the Eastern rat snake and kingsnake will do. Finally, a large snake that I must mention is the Corn snake, or red rat snake, simply for its sheer beauty. I’ve seen people react to this snake with wonder and awe as a direct result of its gorgeous markings and coloration. Unfortunately, many people mistakenly identify this species and kill it because they think it is a Copperhead, which is frustrating for many different reasons.

Copperheads are venomous and need to be respected. They are also beautifully colored and serve a purpose in our ecosystem. They can be dangerous, but if you’d like to investigate SC and U.S. injury statistics in more depth, a quick Google search or two could reveal how little we have to worry about these snakes, though we should still be careful and responsible as outdoorsman and gardeners. All snakes, whether they are venomous or non-venomous, serve a purpose. They are food for insects, birds, frogs, lizards, and many mammals. Even our beloved Eastern Bluebird enjoys a nice snake snack from time to time. Think about that the next time you see a snake in your garden. Instead of wasting that snake’s life, let it live and play out its important role within our planet. Respect it and think about how its life is connected to the world around it. Become comfortable with it and you may find yourself wanting to create habitat to support it. All life, not just the birds and butterflies, deserve a place in the wild beyond your window. My hope is that you show respect to all wildlife, even the wildlife you may not completely understand – the animals you may fear – and find a connection and love for them.

Copperhead photo by Parker Gibbons

Baby Corn Snake photo by Parker Gibbons

Resources for Future Learning: 

Book: Snakes of the Southeast by Whit Gibbons and Mike Dorcas

Website: Savannah River Ecology Laboratory

Three SC snake-focused Instagram accounts:

@snakemaneargle

@parker_gibbons_herpetology

@rianburris

Published 9/24/21 in Chapin Magazine

Senator Graham cosponsors Recovering America’s Wildlife Act

Senator Lindsey Graham is cosponsoring a bipartisan bill that will fund locally led efforts to help prevent extinctions and help wildlife thrive nationwide.

“America’s wildlife are in crisis and this groundbreaking legislation tackles the problem at the magnitude that is necessary,” said Sara Green, Executive Director of the South Carolina Wildlife Federation. “We thank Senator Graham for cosponsoring this fiscally responsible effort to help at-risk wildlife with collaborative, voluntary measures across every state, territory, and Tribal nation.”

The Recovering America’s Wildlife Act would send more than $14 million annually to South Carolina, which would use the money to help the 800 at-risk species identified by the SC Department of Natural Resources (SCDNR).

“These conservation dollars are akin to the historic Wildlife and Sport Fish Restoration funds put in place decades ago” said Robert Boyles, SCDNR Director. “What that legislation did for game and sportfish species, the Recovering America’s Wildlife Act will do for South Carolina’s imperiled wildlife resources such as the gopher tortoise, whimbrel, black rail, loggerhead sea turtle, and others listed in our State Wildlife Action Plan. We wholeheartedly thank Senator Graham for his leadership in supporting this important piece of legislation to benefit our state’s natural resources and its citizens.”

Nationwide, the Recovering America’s Wildlife Act dedicates $1.4 billion annually to locally led wildlife restoration efforts. At least 15 percent of the funds will be used to help species already considered endangered or threatened on the tens of millions of acres under tribal management nationwide. Tribal Nations, such as the Catawba, would share $97.5 million annually to fund wildlife conservation efforts on their lands.

“Roughly one out of every three species of wildlife nationwide is at an increased level of risk,” said Collin O’Mara, president and CEO of the National Wildlife Federation. “We are so grateful to Senator Graham for leading the way on this bold, bipartisan bill that will have an immediate impact in South Carolina and all across the country.”

An array of South Carolina entities have also endorsed the bill, including the Harry R. E. Hampton Memorial Wildlife Fund, SC Boating & Fishing Alliance, and local chapters of the Audubon Society, National Deer Association, National Wild Turkey Federation, and more.

Senator Martin Heinrich (D-N.M.) introduced the bill in July with Senator Roy Blunt (R-Mo.). A companion bill in the House has more than 100 bipartisan cosponsors.

“Wildlife conservation is an issue that unites all South Carolinians, and we hope Senator Tim Scott and the rest of the delegation will join Senator Graham in cosponsoring this commonsense bill,” said Green.

Celebrating conservation, wildlife management in SC through outdoor sports

By Angela Viney

Published by Spartanburg Herald-Journal, September 21, 2021

Over 100 years ago, hunters and anglers were the earliest and most vocal supporters of conservation and scientific wildlife management. They were the first to recognize that rapid development and unregulated uses of wildlife were threatening the future of many species.

Led by fellow sportsman President Theodore Roosevelt, these early conservationists called for the first laws restricting the commercial slaughter of wildlife, urged sustainable use of fish and game, created hunting and fishing licenses, and lobbied for taxes on sporting equipment to provide funds for state conservation agencies. Populations of white-tailed deer, elk, antelope, wild turkey, wood ducks and other species began to recover from decades of unregulated exploitation.

In South Carolina, the Game and Fish Association organized in 1931, the forerunner of the South Carolina Wildlife Federation that is celebrating its 90th anniversary this year. The concern at that time was that fish and game violations were threatening the bounty of South Carolina’s woods and waters.

The State’s Harry Hampton wrote in his columns urging sportsmen in the state to organize to press for amended laws. Harry spoke to the Sumter Rotary Club in June 1931 and the members endorsed the idea of sportsmen’s clubs in every county. The Sumter chapter of The SC Game and Fish Association was born that day.

The SC Game and Fish Association met formally in Columbia to organize in October, 1931, with 150 sportsmen attending from 25 counties. In 1946, the SC Fish and Game Association reorganized as the South Carolina Wildlife Federation.

Eighth Annual Convention, SC Game & Fish Association, Sept. 15, 1938

By the following year, the Federation focused its efforts on creating a South Carolina Wildlife Resources Commission for the purpose of establishing and enforcing game laws in the state. The Federation’s battle was hard-fought, and the Commission was finally created in 1952 which evolved into the SC Department of Natural Resources (SCDNR) in 1994.

The excise taxes on sporting equipment that the early conservationists called for was made possible by the Federal Aid in Wildlife Restoration Act in 1937, commonly called the “Pittman-Robertson Act” after its Congressional sponsors. It provides federal aid to states for the management and restoration of wildlife, and its funding comes from an 11 percent excise tax on sporting arms and ammunition.

The disbursement of these funds, generated through excise taxes on hunting, shooting and fishing equipment and boat fuel to all 50 states and U.S. territories, is distributed by the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service. In 2020, South Carolina received sportfish and wildlife restoration grants totaling $12,675,815.

To date, the Service has distributed more than $22.9 billion in apportionments for state conservation and recreation projects.

In an effort to honor hunters and anglers and their contributions to conservation, on May 2, 1972, President Richard Nixon signed the first proclamation of National Hunting and Fishing Day to be celebrated on the fourth Saturday of September. By late summer, all 50 governors and more than 600 mayors had joined in by proclaiming state and local versions of National Hunting and Fishing Day (NHF). The response was dramatic.

Upstate South Carolina is hosting a NHF Day celebration at Oconee County’s South Cove Park near Seneca. This free, fun, family adventure is open to the public and will be held from 9 a.m. to 3 p.m. on Saturday, Sept. 25.

The 13th Upstate celebration of National Hunting and Fishing Day will include activities such as archery, air rifles, camouflage games, fly tying and casting, kayaking, fishing on Lake Keowee and much more. All activities are free, and all gear is provided.

National Hunting and Fishing Day is made possible by partnerships with the SCDNR, Oconee County Parks and Recreation, Trout Unlimited, Clemson University Cooperative Extension Service, South Carolina 4-H Shooting Sports and Harry Hampton Memorial Wildlife Fund.

National Hunting and Fishing Day is the most effective grassroots effort ever undertaken to promote outdoor sports and conservation. We look forward to this event every year. It is a great opportunity for the community to enjoy the great outdoors in a safe, educational environment with family and friends.

For directions and information, call South Cove County Park at 864-882-5250 or visit its Facebook page at: www.facebook.com/southcovecountypark

Angela Viney is the Chair of National Hunting and Fishing Day.

Published by Spartanburg Herald-Journal, September 21, 2021

Sun City welcomes wildlife

SCCL Board Secretary Cynthia Rudolph holds the Community Wildlife Habitat Certification certificate presented by Sara Green, executive director of the S.C. Wildlife Federation. From left are Dianne Abel, Michelle Evans, Terry Graham, Rudolph and Green.

Published Tuesday, September 7, 2021 at 6:30 pm by Carolina Gateway

Community receives national honor
by Melanie Aves

Sun City Carolina Lakes (SCCL), an active adult community in Indian Land, achieved Community Wildlife Habitat Certification this summer from the National Wildlife Federation and the S.C. Wildlife Federation.

The Mums and Poppies Garden Keepers, which spearheaded the certification project, celebrated the honor July 13 at the Lodge in Sun City with a lunchtime event attended by over 100 people. Sara Green, S.C. Wildlife Federation executive director, presented a framed certificate to Cynthia Rudolph, SCCL board secretary, along with a sign for the Carolina Fence Garden.

Carolina Fence Garden at Sun City Carolina Lakes.

The milestone came after two years of education, outreach and advocacy. Homeowners were encouraged to garden and landscape with local wildlife in mind by providing key survival elements – food, water, cover and places to raise their young. Wildlife gardens also emphasize the use of native plants and the elimination of toxic chemicals. More than 200 homes in SCCL earned Gardens for Wildlife certification by the national and state wildlife federations.

“We are so delighted by the community support we’ve received for our project,” said Dianne Abel, community wildlife habitat coordinator for Mums and Poppies. “Certification is a big honor, but it is not permanent. We have to maintain and add to what we’ve accomplished so we can be re-certified each year.”

Judith Quick oversees one of the butterfly pollinator gardens.

Michelle Evans, executive director of the Katawba Land Trust, was a guest speaker at the celebration. She described the land trust’s role in securing a broad easement along the Catawba River that runs the entire length of the SCCL property. This swath of land preserves a habitat for native plants and wildlife that might otherwise be destroyed by development. Lancaster County Councilman Terry Graham, a conservationist and owner of Ivy Place, also spoke at the ceremony. KVLT holds an easement on his property along the Catawba River also.

Photos of the wildlife that share the SCCL natural habitats were on display by naturalist Tom Chriske.
Support from area businesses was recognized. Elaine Mobley, owner of Wild Birds Unlimited, consulted with the group on appropriate bird habitats and donated a wren house for a garden.

Refreshments included tea and homemade cookies from Ann Oswald and the Tailgaters Food Truck offered sloppy joes, baked beans and potato salad.

Additional credit for certification came from the creation of four butterfly and pollinator gardens, the establishment of a certified monarch waystation through Monarch Watch, and the recent construction of a Carolina fence garden.

Club member Peggy Jackson took charge of the raising, tagging and releasing of 75 monarch butterflies this past spring.

In 2020, the total release in the spring and fall was over 200. Jackson has been dubbed “butterfly mama” by her friends. “You never know exactly when each chrysalis will break open,” she said, “but it’s always exciting.”

Peggy Jackson prepares to release her newborn monarch butterflies.

The Schweinitz sunflower, an endangered species, is being re-introduced to local gardens.

Elaine Adkins, owner of Griff’s Greenhouse and Nursery, which was recently added to the S.C. Native Plant Society’s list of native plant nurseries, advised the SCCL group on indigenous plants and raised some hard-to-find native species to provide seeds for local gardeners. As they learned about native plants, the Mums and Poppies group worked to successfully re-introduce the Schweinitz sunflower, an endangered species found only in the Carolina Piedmont, to local gardens.

Mums and Poppies initiated a collection process for filmy plastic and managed to amass 5,000 pounds of it to be recycled in exchange for 10 Trex garden benches to place along trails and gardens. Several other SCCL clubs have joined the recycling effort to earn benches.

Abel said the Mums and Poppies will not be resting on their laurels.

“We’re already planning to create notecards featuring photographs of our garden projects,” she said. “Won’t that be fun?”

Published Tuesday, September 7, 2021 at 6:30 pm by Carolina Gateway