Northern ribbon snake

The northern ribbon snake is slender and about 50 centimetres long. Dark brown to black in colour, it has distinct yellowish stripes down its back and sides. Living in boggy or grassy places by ponds and streams, this snake is equally at home in the water and on land. It eats small fish, frogs and insects. Active during the day, it is nevertheless shy in nature and hides from intruders. Its young are born alive and there can be up to 10 young in a litter.

Classified as rare in Nova Scotia, the northern ribbon snake is able to exist in Kejimkujik National Park because it's protected there. In the park, the snake lives on shorelines of lakes and the grassy areas beside streams.

The population of northern ribbon snakes in Kejimkujik has been separated from the rest of the North American population. This small population is therefore disjunct from the larger population in Ontario and this may affect its genetic diversity.

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