Erythrism in the Maritime Garter Snake, Thamnophis sirtalis pallidulus, in Nova Scotia

The Maritime Garter Snake, Thamnophis sirtalis pallidulus, is highly variable in pattern and colour. Although this subspecies is largely defined on the basis of colour, four colour morphs have previously been described for the subspecies, including a melanistic form. Based on specimens from Nova Scotia, Canada, a fifth, uncommon erythristic variant is added to the complex colour variation known for the Maritime Garter Snake. Erratum for figure included

The Brown Morph of the Northern Ringneck Snake, Diadophis punctatus edwardsii, on Big Tancook Island, Mahone Bay, Nova Scotia

I describe a brown morph of the Northern Ringneck Snakes (Diadophis punctatus edwardsii) that occurs in a population on Big Tancook Island, Mahone Bay, Lunenburg County, Nova Scotia, Canada

Arboreal Late Summer Courtship Behaviour of Maritime Garter Snake, Thamnophis sirtalis pallidulus, in Dartmouth, Nova Scotia, Canada

We report, for the first time, Maritime Garter Snake, Thamnophis sirtalis pallidulus, arboreal, late summer, courtship behaviour in the wild observed 4-5 September 2006

Winter Predation by River Otter, Lontra canadensis, on Tautog, Tautoga onitis, at Western Arm Jeddore Harbour, Halifax County, Nova Scotia, Canada, with a Review of Evidence for Resident Relict Populations of the Tautog in Nova Scotia and New Brunswick

We report winter predation by River Otter, Lontra canadensis, on Tautog, Tautoga onitis, a southern marine fish, at Western Arm Jeddore Harbour, Halifax County, Nova Scotia (44°46'N, 63°03'W), on 17 February 2008. We also discuss the distribution of Tautog in the western Atlantic Ocean, review Canadian records, and provide evidence that resident relict populations of this fish exist in Nova Scotia and New Brunswick

Eastern Chipmunk, Tamias striatus, Attack on a Maritime Garter Snake, Thamnophis sirtalis pallidulus, at Cooks Lake, Halifax County, Nova Scotia, Canada

Sciurids are often seen eating carrion on roads but are rarely seen attacking live prey. We report a rare incident of an Eastern Chipmunk, Tamias striatus, attacking (but not eating) a Maritime Garter Snake, Thamnophis sirtalis pallidulus, at Cooks Lake, Halifax County, Nova Scotia, Canada, on 29 September 2009 at 1315 h

Two Amelanistic Eastern Red-backed Salamanders (Plethodon cinereus) from Eastern Canada

Three colour morphs of the Eastern Red-backed Salamander, Plethodon cinereus, are known in eastern Canada: red-backed, lead-backed, and erythristic. Anomalies, including two albino and four leucistic individuals, are also known from eastern Canada. We report the first salamander individuals exhibiting amelanism, which is a lack of black skin pigment, but with black eyes, one from Quebec and one from Nova Scotia, Canada

The Chain Dogfish, Scyliorhinus retifer (Garman, 1881), New to the Canadian Atlantic Ichthyofauna

The Chain Dogfish, Scyliorhinus retifer, is known from southwestern Georges Bank in the United States but until now there have been no verifiable records of this shark in Canadian waters. We report on two specimens Georges Bank, Big LaHave Bank, Nova Scotia, that represent the first and second records for the Canadian Atlantic

The Wood Turtle, Glyptemys insculpta, at River Denys: A Second Population for Cape Breton Island, Nova Scotia

The Wood Turtle, Glyptemys insculpta, population at River Denys, Inverness County, Cape Breton Island, Nova Scotia, was unknown except locally until listed in a provincial survey in 1995. Subsequently a hatchling was photographed at McLennan Brook on 17 September 1999, and three adult males were photographed between 14 and 19 September 2000. Two adult females were photographed at South Side River Denys on 18 June 2001. An excavated nest and empty egg shells were located at the same time on a stony-gravel bank at the outflow of McLennan Brook, and one sub-adult male was found at the edge of a hay field on 19 August 2001. Additional observations made of a nesting site and five basking sites, mostly along the main branch of River Denys, provide further evidence that a breeding population of Wood Turtles exists in River Denys watershed

First Record of the Great Barracuda, Sphyraena barracuda from Canada

We report the collection, and provide a description, of the first Great Barracuda, Sphyraena barracuda, in Canadian waters based on a partial skeleton from Country Island, Nova Scotia

A Second Amelanistic Eastern Red-backed Salamander, Plethodon cinereus, from Nova Scotia, Canada

In 2011, an amelanistic Eastern Red-backed Salamander, Plethodon cinereus, was discovered in Point Pleasant Park in Halifax, Nova Scotia. This is the second amelanistic Eastern Red-backed Salamander that has been documented from the Halifax area. Albino and leucistic individuals have also been identified from Nova Scotia. These aberrant conditions, including the two amelanistic individals, were discovered in isolated, fragmented, and disturbed habitat