Of Canada | Reptiles

Reptiles of Canada

Can a country with cold winters actually have ectothermic, or cold-blooded, reptiles? Surprisingly, the answer is yes. Canada is home to 35 snake, 6 lizard and 9 land turtle species, found across the country. Our oceans also contain 4 sea turtle species that occasionally inhabit our Pacific or Atlantic coastal waters.

While most reptiles are found in the southern part of the country, there is one snake - the Common or Red-sided Garter Snake,found as far north as the Northwest Territories.

Famous for our harsh and variable climate, it seems astonishing that these animals can survive here. But survive they do, and with some amazing adaptations.

Working as a group

During the winter, reptiles rely on warm, dry den sites that provide protection from the elements. The temperature in the chosen den never drops below freezing. Snakes are often found in dens, or hibernaculums, numbering several hundred animals.

Even species that are enemies during the summer months will spend the winter huddled together. Many species of turtle also hibernate in groups.

For many snake species, communal nesting sites are the answer. Multiple females will lay their eggs in a particularly choice site, rather than use a less desirable one on their own. This improves the chance of a successful hatching, and is common in areas where good nesting sites are scarce.

Being darker

Dark colours absorb heat from the sun more readily than lighter ones. This rule holds true for many of our reptiles. Their tropical cousins are bright and colourful, but ours are various shades of brown. Reptiles living this far from the equator need to receive as much heat as they can from the weaker sun's rays.

Retreating underground

Many species of reptile look to holes in the ground to protect them from freezing. The temperature of the ground below the frost level is warm enough for them to survive the winter.

Winter isn't the only problem season for these animals. Hot, dry conditions can be fatal, and many will retreat underground until conditions improve. Using abandoned animal burrows, cavities under tree roots, or shelters in rocks they will hide until it's safe to return to the surface.

Hibernating

With so little to protect their bodies from the elements, reptiles use a variety of locations for shelter. Aquatic species may snuggle down into the mud on the bottom of ponds. Turtles can often be found in muskrat or beaver lodges, below the water line. Snakes look for a large, deep rock pile with a warm central area.

Live born young

Many reptile species, instead of laying eggs and leaving them to the elements, retain the eggs inside their bodies and give birth to live young. If the female keeps the eggs inside her body until they hatch, she is better able to regulate their temperature. This is a distinct survival advantage in cooler regions. The warmer the incubation temperature, the faster the development of the embryos as well.

There is a trade-off for this protective nurturing, as it results in fewer broods. In the tropics, reptiles may reproduce many times a year. Females in the cooler regions who give birth to live young are only able to do so once every year or two. They give birth in the summer, and may be unable to feed enough before hibernation to reproduce the following year. Live bearers who live at higher elevations may produce a brood only every two or three years.

Read more about Canada's reptiles:

Reptiles of BC

Reptiles of The Prairies

Reptiles of Ontario & Quebec

Reptiles of The Maritimes

Reptiles of the Territories

Garter Snakes of Canada

Lizards of Canada

Sea Turtles in Canada's Oceans

See the Canadian Reptile & Amphibian Conservation Network for more information