Camp Creature: Bullsnake

Crikey, Mate! Don't. Move. Do you hear that rattle sound? I know what you're thinking, "Dude, we don't have rattle snakes up at camp." You are correct, but did you kno...OH, LOOK! There it is - the elusive Bullsnake. Have no fear, friends, that rattle sound is just a defense mechanism. Bullsnakes are known to mock rattle snakes to intimidate potential predators. Let's cautiously approach this beauty and learn all about camp's NEW RESIDENT SNAKE!

But Did You Know...

Camp's New Critter!

• Bullsnakes are nonvenomous.
• Bullsnakes are the second largest species of snake in Minnesota. They typically max out at around 6 feet long, but have been recorded to reach over 8 feet long!
• In Minnesota, bullsnakes are most commonly found along the shores of the Minnesota, Mississippi, and St. Croix rivers.
• Bullsnakes feed on small rodents, grounds birds, and the occasional egg. Our little critter will be on a diet of exclusively mice! Tasty, eh? 
• Bullsnakes are a reptile with the status of special concern in Minnesota. The primary threat to this species is habitat loss. 
• Bullsnakes are known for their "aggressive" personalities. If they feel threatened they will coil up and beat their tail on the ground rapidly- mimicking a rattle snake. However, once used to handling, they make great pets! They may seem aggressive but deep down they just want to be loved. 
• Bullsnakes are also known to "pretend" strike. They will strike like they will bite you, but they just headbutt you with the top of their head. For more info on bullsnakes the MN DNR is a great source!

Adult bullsnake

This bullsnake completes our educational lineup of six different species of snakes. We are very excited about the newest addition to the Camp Family! My nephew thinks his name should be Curious George, comment your thoughts below! If you have any cool pets at home we would love to hear about them, email your stories to ad@campfoley.com.

Environmental Education Always on the Mind

The school year is well underway and our campers are comfortably immersed back in their everyday, hometown lives. As youth developers, our goal is to have a positive impact on youth year round, not solely during the summer months while campers are in camp. So how can we ensure students are remaining active and developing important life skills? We can partner with the schools, of course!

Students interacting with a western hognose snake during Critters.

A majority of ACA accredited camps, Foley included, take pride in their partnership with schools throughout the United States. We partner with schools in Minnesota by way of our environmental education program. Check out Foley's program specifically! Environmental education is such an important and unique learning opportunity that gets kids out of the classroom to learn in a hands on setting. From learning how to light a fire using flint and steel to viewing wild animals in their natural setting, the depth of knowledge and experience gained is priceless. 

Students closely observing an adult beaver while canoeing
during Enviro Education at Foley. 

The Every Student Succeeds Act (ESSA), which goes into effect during the 2017-2018 school year, sets the stage for more opportunities for schools to partner with camps and other organizations which allow for out-of-school time experiences. Classroom learning is obviously important, we just can't forget the importance our natural world has in our educational growth.

Take the time to explore that state park you drive by everyday, every moment spent outdoors can be beneficial!  

If you know of a school that may be interested in learning more about our program, email fun@campfoley.com.

Students testing our their lumberjack abilities during Woodskills.

"As the young spend less of their lives in natural surrounding, their senses narrow, physiologically and psychologically and this reduces the richness of human experience ... we NEED contact with nature." - Richard Louv

TBT: Critter Invasion

Jordan teaching Nature in 2012.

Growing up in the area, I have always had a passion for all the critters I could find in the woods. As a kid I would come back to my house with an assortment of critters in my pockets: a snake, a frog or two, and possibly some worms, depending on the day. This passion for nature brought me to Foley even before I was a counselor, learning more about the snakes and spending time at Hidden Lake catching as many turtles that would fit in the bottom of the canoe.

After making the decision to be a Foley counselor in 2012, I taught in the Nature Center and began to pass on my love for the all things that creep, crawl, and swim (except spiders, of course). With being part of the nature program, I got to completely relive my childhood, which was incredible! A big difference in being at camp is I had the opportunity to spend my time in the woods with a group of campers, rather than exploring alone. This group-style adventuring allowed for the finding and safe capturing of a wide variety of critters and a bunch of them during our hunts.

Jordan teaching a Critters class during Environmental Ed
in Spring 2013.

My first summer as a counselor I experienced many critter happenings for the first time. A vivid memory I have is having campers catch red belly snakes and create habitats in the nature center for them. We fed the snakes and kept them for about a week at a time. At the end of one of the sessions, we came across seven red belly babies as we were cleaning out the tank. I have never experienced a captured animal giving birth while in captivity and I loved sharing that experience with all the campers.

Among the red belly snakes, campers also caught salamanders, skinks, garter snakes, painted turtles, saw snapping turtles, found worms, and gathered many insects for our critters to eat. I enjoyed passing along information that I love and sparking their passion for the outdoors and all it contains.

--Jordan Anderson