Throughout the my 17 years here at Darlington School, there have been recorded cases of dangerous animals in Silver Lake. Large turtles with jaws that can bite your fingers clean off, or venomous snakes that will send you to the hospital. Although these rumors may not be 100% true, (snapping turtles will bite off your fingers probably if you stick them in their mouth, and there has been a venomous snake on campus once or twice every few years) most of the time it is a false alarm. My dad being the resident environmental science teacher, so naturally the environmental expert, he gets a lot of calls, texts and emails about “dangerous” animals quite often, especially around this time of year where it is getting warmer (perfect basking weather for our reptilian friends). I have also been a victim to these false alarms, because many have turned to me when my father isn’t around to pick up a snake or large turtle and relocate it. This article will hopefully serve as an easy reference next time someone encounters a scary critter, and will allow them to make the decision to just let it stay where it is, and not report it as a dangerous animal that needs to be removed by the closest nature geek.

Our first culprit on the list is the infamous Silver Lake Water Snake (kind of catchy isn’t it). This guy has been terrorizing students and faculty around campus for at least the last two years if not longer. My dad gets a text at least once a week about this guy from a scared facilities worker (our famous tough guy on campus, Derrick the security guard, is terrified of snakes), a teacher or one of his students. A water snake is NOT venomous. They aren’t “Water Moccasins” (or cottonmouths). These guys eat small rodents and such, and are probably more scared of you than you are of them. If you see one not moving when you near it, a good tip is guess it’s temperature. If it is chilly outside or it is in the shade, it may be cold and that is why you are able to approach it so easily. Reptiles are cold-blooded, meaning they rely on external sources of heat to heat their bodies. If any reptile is cold, they will turn their motor functions way down in order to preserve heat. This is when reptiles are most docile, meaning they are easy to move and most likely won’t strike at you or try to defend themselves. If the snake is basking in the sun, it is probably very warm meaning it could be aggressive. Either way, cold or warm, it is just a good idea to let them be.

Our other scary friend is the common snapping turtle. There are a few of these guys around Darlington, and although they look like something right of of Jurassic Park, they are actually quite clumsy and docile. They are probably the most chill creatures in Silver Lake. As you can see in the picture, they even smile when you pick them up! (Just kidding that big guys is definitely trying to bite senior Chase Pittman). These guys eat small fish, frogs, or really whatever passes by. They are trying to avoid humans at all cost because believe it or not people used to eat them! So don’t worry about one of these attacking you, unless you are really asking for it.

I hope after reading this you feel a little better about our creepy, reptilian friends around silver lake, and maybe even the ones around your home. These guys are not evil. They may look ugly, but they are really just trying to make it in this world just like everyone is. So next time you see one, respect it and maybe watch it for a little while, don’t freak out!