Some Hillside Reptiles

Noted in Hillside Woods: red eared sliders and snapping turtles in Sugar Pond; Eastern box turtle in the Meadow. Beware: snapping turtles' necks can extent quite far and at lightning speed! And they can literally snap off an unsuspecting finger. As with all wildlife in the woods, try to never provoke or disturb it.

Possibly found in Hillside, Yonkers, and Dobbs Ferry: garter, black rat, brown and sometimes water snakes. Snakes here do not make holes in the ground. (Those are typically made by chipmunks, moles, mice and shrews.) Copperheads can be found in the northern part of the county, as well as another half-dozen or so species, such as black racers and eastern hognose. The timber rattle snake has been extirpated, as highways intersected its habitats and curtailed their movements.