The natural environment contains many exciting things, including the animals who dwell in it. With heat-trapping gases causing a stir for communities during the warm summer months, many have had to adjust to protect their habitats. It can be frustrating when animals who try to adjust to a warming planet are disturbed by the carelessness of others.
A man has been fined $25,000 after being convicted of destroying the habitat of an at-risk snake species known as the eastern foxsnake in the Town of LaSalle, Ontario, according to a report from CBC News in Canada.
The Ontario Ministry of the Environment, Conservation and Parks reported that the convicted man had taken part in and oversaw activities to clear land on undeveloped lots, which were already designated by the County of Essex as "natural environment." This designation protects such lands from being developed on or altered by citizens.
Recently, over 300 sightings of the eastern foxsnakes were cited within a kilometer (0.62 miles) of the undeveloped lots.
According to Ontario Nature, eastern foxsnakes are the third-largest of all snakes in Ontario, with the potential to grow as long as 1.8 meters. Though they generally prefer unforested areas such as shorelines and wetlands, they have been noted to adapt to other environments such as building foundations and drainage ditches.
The reptiles use rocks and shrubbery to keep their body temperature regulated and to avoid predators.
This was put to the test when equipment used for vegetation clearing altered the underground chamber system in the area the snakes use after hibernation. According to the Ontario Ministry, contractors were hired to remove vegetation from the area without government approval, jeopardizing habitats that were already at risk due to rising global temperatures.
Researchers have found that a warming planet has an influence on snake behavior and distribution. As global temperatures rise, snakes are expected to spread to new areas, posing a significant public health concern for regions not accustomed to effectively dealing with an uptick in snake populations.
The reverse has applied to communities such as LaSalle, where the man destroyed the habitats for animals already on the Species at Risk in Ontario List, part of the Endangered Species Act in Canada.
By taking action, even locally, communities can develop a mutually beneficial relationship that protects themselves and the animals in their environment.
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