Snow Snakes (& Subspecies) - [Fearsome Critters]

 Snow Snake - [Fearsome Critters] - Latin: "Aestatesommus hiemepericulosus" - etc..

• About this critter: A hyperborean cobra which was said to have migrated from somewhere in Siberia, across the frozen Bering Strait during the extremely cold "Year of Two Winters". These snakes slid down past the Yukon and began to migrate further south, eventually becoming extremely wide spread across Canada and as far south of the border as Maine, Minnesota, Wisconsin & as far east as the Grand Marias. Their pale scales have a vivid icy white sheen: perfect cameo against a frigid winter backdrop. They'd be completely invisible if not for their vivid pink eyes - the last thing you might see when they strike out of nowhere. Their venom is incredibly potent and acts at a speed rivalling that of a king cobras. - (Sticky & unpleasant 'Tanglefoot oil' was said to be the only remedy for their vicious bite.) - Curiously, snow snakes seem to become more docile the further south you get towards the equator: Some variants have 'Helpful Shovel-like-tails' which they use to dig, others are said 'suck in snow and blow it out like a frost breath' - Others have also been said to leave a 'winding snowshoe pattern behind them', causing nosy hikers to wander and become lost, wandering to who knows where..

• History: Not to be confused with several species of actual arboreal snakes that do in fact live in Canada & along the border. The Snow Snake is decidedly yet another Fearsome Critter from the early 1900s, the full critter was mentioned in papers along side the hoopsnake in papers as early as 1910.

Potentially the earliest bestiary mention was Paul bunyans Natural History [1935.] – The short description included there goes as follows:

"SNOW SNAKE. These reptiles came over from Siberia by frozen Bering Strait during the very cold year of the two winters. Being pure white in color they were always more plentiful during the winter time. They were very poisonous and savage. Tanglefoot oil was the only remedy for their bite."

Later, Snow snake's where again further elaborated on by Henry H Tryon in 'Fearsome Critters' [1939]

The Snow Snake - Aestatesommus hiemepericulosus

    During the year of the Two Winters, when the July temperature dropped to -62°, these pink-eyed, whlte-bodied, savage serpents crossed over from Siberia via Bering Strait. They are bad actors, the venom is deadly, with a speed of action second only to that of the Hood Snake or the Hamadryad.⁷
    Hibernating in summer but becoming active in Winter, the Snow Snake coils on a low drift where its pure white color makes it wholy invisible to its prey. One strike is sufficient. Mankind is not often bitten as he makes too big a mouthful. But sometimes a Snake will get over-ambitious. When this does happen, tanglefoot oil is the only known remedy.
    “I Was treed by a Snow Snake” is still a much-used explanation of a late home-coming.

 ⁷: The King Cobra.

A couple of other variants from around the same time include...

• Snow-Shoe-footed Snow Snake: - [Art Childs, 1925] - a snow snake witch leaves winding snow shoe patterns in the snow (similar to the wild teakettler or the swamp gaboon) 

• Shovel-Tailed Snow-snake - [Friendly Buckhorn Saloon, 1940s] -  the following postcard shows a very authentic taxidermied snowsnake. The reverese side of the below postcard said the following:

"SHOVEL-TAILED SNOWSNAKE.  – This snake is quite harmless In fact it will shovel a path through the snow for you in the wintertime. This is the largest one ever seen at Rice Lake Wisconsin.  – On display at the "FRIENDLY BUCKHORN." 

• Snow blowing snow-snake - Found in St Croix Minnesota & Beaver bay. this variation sucks in snow and blows it out through a hole in its head- described by workers to Ex-marine and girl-scout leader, Marjorie Edgar. [Minnesota History 1940] - It should perhaps also be noted that the similarities between this critter and the snow wasset where also not lost on lumbermen at the time. -

Given what is written in all of the above, perhaps we should assume that the further south of the border you go, the more docile these 'snow snakes' start to become. Most recently snowsnakes have also been spotted in maine. - Perhaps they've become extinct further south due to global warming & the increase in potent wildfires... 

Of course, Given the time these documents & postcards where drawn at, We should assume that perhaps these 'Snow Snakes' got their name from a simple Settlers Joke borrowing from the indigenous sport of the same name. (and most certainly not the other way around! ) - On the flip-side of that: it should absolutely be noted that winter "Snow Snake Hunts" (Wherever it is they might occur, typically played by tender footed campers & boyscouts where absolutely based on the idea of finding this invisible critter. 

 If these legends where as popular as they once where today, I might say to think of these something like as the 'Drop bears of Canadia' however, the canadian cobra is its own thing and is far more dangerous (as it can fly!!!)

My father once told me that decades ago (in the mid 70's?) when my Aunt from California came to visit us in Canada for the first time, she brought along an full Ice pic-axe and winter gear (Not realizing that we live in wet and Rainy Vancouver.) She felt a bit silly, but was still terrified of encountering polar bears in Stanley Park. - as of posting this, despite how chilly it was this year it has yet to snow! so sadly I've been was forced to use the icebox for photographs again (Someone remind me to get proper photos the next time it does snows up here!)

 I'd suppose the idea of a drawing a 'snow snake' is similar to the idea of "drawing a polarbear in a snowstorm." - Being a critter that was often described "as invisible" I drew what i felt was cool (hah.) I had debated combining all of the above descriptions but wound up feeling a bit too busy! (sometimes simple is better.) 

[Art sticker by SamKalensky (yo, that's me!) part of my Fearsome Critters collection of stickers.]