There have been unverified sightings of the snake in the Nanoose and Parksville area, but no photo evidence of its presence, researchers say.<\/p>\n
Scientists are asking for the public\u2019s help on Vancouver Island to solve a snake mystery.<\/p>\n
Researchers with Thompson Rivers University in Kamloops are in the final year of a two-year project to understand more about the rubber boa and its distribution throughout British Columbia.<\/p>\n
Though there have been some unverified sightings of the snake on Vancouver Island in the Nanoose and Parksville area, there is no photo evidence of its presence, according to Tirzah Robinson, who is part of the research team and posted a callout to the public for help on July 2<\/a>.<\/p>\n Rubber boas are uniformly dark olive green or brown in colour, with small eyes and a pale orange-yellow belly, according to the public-engagement website B.C. Reptiles & Amphibians, which is assisting with the project. Their name comes from the small, smooth scales that give their skin a rubbery appearance.<\/p>\n The project marks the first intensive study of its kind, after smaller studies were done in the late 1990s. Little is known about the boa\u2019s range in British Columbia, the only place in Canada where it\u2019s found.<\/p>\n That lack of information can make conservation efforts difficult, said Maria Collins, a project researcher and master\u2019s of science student at Thompson Rivers University.<\/p>\n The snake can be tricky to spot because it tends to burrow, with only a bit of its tail showing, Collins said.<\/p>\n \u201cIt\u2019s very easy to not see the animal and destroy the habitat unknowingly,\u201d Collins said. \u201cIt\u2019s very sensitive to human activity because we can\u2019t see the snake and it\u2019s very easy to just scoop up a bunch of dirt, not know, and then you\u2019ve just wiped out a local population of them.\u201d<\/p>\n Juvenile snakes are particularly vulnerable because of their small size \u2014 they\u2019re a bit like a large earthworm \u2014 and the fact that they take a long time to grow and reach sexual maturity, Collins said.<\/p>\n She said photos and any other information from the public can help researchers build a database of information on the snake\u2019s range and whether its population is stable, which will help determine its potential protection and ranking with the Committee on the Status of Endangered Wildlife in Canada.<\/p>\n \u201cSome person\u2019s photo can make an incredibly huge difference for this animal\u2019s conservation on the Island, if they are there. It can be a really life-changing thing for this animal,\u201d Collins said. \u201cCitizens can have a lot of impact with a photo.\u201d<\/p>\n Anyone who sees a rubber boa in the wild is encouraged not to handle the snake but to note the date, time and location, take a photo and send the information to [email\u00a0protected]<\/a>. Submissions can also be made online through bcreptilesandamphibians.ca\/ bc-boa-project<\/a>.<\/p>\n