Toshiro "Andy" Baziuk can't contain his excitement as he stoops down to investigate a plant at the entrance of the forest in Boston Bar, near Hope.
"I wrapped the snake in these," he explains while grabbing one of the plant's maple-shaped leaves. "I didn't think he was a worm, because a worm doesn't squirm like that. So, I just picked him up and I went 'Oh, you're a snake!' I couldn't really identify him. So, there's these plants that look like devil's club, and also maple leaves, but they're not. So, I pick the leaves off that, because they're the best for wrapping.
"And I wrapped him up because he got so scared he wrapped up into a ball."
As the 16-year-old continues to share his knowledge about plants and animals it becomes easy to understand how he discovered and identified a sharp-tailed snake in the Boston Bar area — an endangered species of snake that, so far, is known to only have B.C. populations in South Vancouver Island (which includes the Gulf Islands and Discovery Islands) and Pemberton.
Baziuk discovered the snake while exploring the woods near his home on May 18. While investigating a small stream of water, and trying to divert it back to an old culvert in the area, he noticed something wiggling in the ground nearby. It was only after picking it up that he realized he'd found a snake.
To protect the snake from poachers and animal collectors, the exact location where Baziuk found the snake is being hidden from the public.
Initially calm and supportive over his son's find, Ene' Baziuk said he quickly realized it might be a good idea to identify the snake, just to make sure that Toshiro hadn't brought home a baby rattlesnake.
After a few clicks, and typing in details about the reptile, on a snake-identifying website, they both realized that Toshiro had found an endangered species. And, according to the species' description, it shouldn't have been possible to find it in Boston Bar.
"I named him Kane," Toshiro said. "Honestly, I didn't even know what to think about it at first because I'm like, 'huh, this is interesting.' And it was kind of sad to let him go."
According to the province, it is illegal for people to keep endangered species as pets in B.C.
Once the discovery was made, Ene' said he immediately started looking up who to speak to and came across a contact for Michelle Evelyn, one of the biologists on the Sunshine Coast who spent years searching for the snakes. He sent her a message, with pictures attached of the snake, and received a call from her about five minutes later.
After excitedly informing him of how rare this find was (years can pass between sightings of the snake), Evelyn connected Ene' and Toshiro to Leigh Anne Isaac, the B.C. small mammal and herpetofauna specialist, and Eric Gross, chair of the sharp-tailed snake recovery team. Isaac confirmed that they had indeed found a sharp-tailed snake after reviewing the photos that Toshiro had taken before releasing it back into the wild.
For Ene', the discovery is proof that good things can happen for Toshiro by being himself.
"He did a wonderful thing by himself. And that's incredible," Ene' said. "He's autistic. And the entire school here can fit on one school bus. And for an autistic kid to find his footing in Boston Bar, it can feel impossible. And he's really struggled with loneliness in the past.
"He still hasn't really found his place here. But I'm doing the absolute best I can to help him see the positive side of life and that he has a super bright future ahead."
Toshiro, who is well-liked by his teachers, attends Boston Bar Elementary Secondary School and is in Grade 10, though is taking Grade 11 Chemistry and Pre-Calculus.
Previously from Merritt, Ene' and Toshiro moved to Boston Bar around 11 years ago when the cost of living started rising. Ene', a single dad, describes his son as a bright, curious, teenager with a passion for science, mathematics, and the outdoors. And, when not exploring or foraging the woods, Toshiro can be found doing a number of his hobbies that range from "extreme gardening," baking, and tinkering with electronics. In fact, Ene' reveals that his son had just finished making a clock that uses light, and not sound, as an alarm.
He also wants to get into smithing and is looking into eventually getting a foundry.
As a young child, Toshiro's curiosity led him to investigate everything he encountered especially when it came to plants, rocks, bugs, and other animals. This sense of adventure only grew when he moved to Boston Bar and led to him climbing mountains, hills, and exploring any place that looked interesting to him.
Though the snake is now the "coolest" thing that he's found, Toshiro said his other noteworthy discoveries include rare types of cedar, large chunks of shale, old growth firs, edible plants (such as wild vegetables and strawberries), and quartz with iron inclusions.
Naturally, the snake's discovery has caused ripples in the scientific world with herpetologists now eagerly turning their eyes to the Fraser Canyon.
"We're trying to digest 'what does this mean?' We're still in that phase," Isaac said. "But after speaking with Toshiro and Ene', that region (Boston Bar) is very much a transitional zone between coastal and interior. And this really changes our thinking, about the snake being very isolated, to maybe it's more widespread but clumped in those areas. And that's the focus of some really exciting work happening right now in Victoria."
Around 20 to 30 centimetres, the snake's size, colouring, and burrowing activities often has it being mistaken for a worm. However, it gets its name from its tail which is described as being more pointed and sharp than other snakes or "almost like a thorn."
The snake is non-venomous and fossorial, or adapted to living partially underground. It is reddish-brown, with a distinct pale or white underbelly, and has smooth scales or scutes that give the impression that they're smooth and slippery. Typically, it is more active during the Spring and Fall, when it's not too hot and not too cold, and can be found underneath rocks and downed wood and in the earth.
Originally, it was believed that the species were only found in Vancouver Island. However, in 2011 a biologist discovered another population — the coastal mountain population — in Pemberton which helped to redefine what was known about the snake.
Though it is more widespread in the western region of the U.S.A., the Pacific population in South Vancouver Island is considered endangered and the Pemberton population is considered threatened. The species' statuses is further complicated by how hard it is to actually encounter them in the wild.
Because of this, Isaac said it was highly unlikely that the snake arrived in Boston Bar by hitching a ride on a vehicle, or being brought there by poachers.
"This is an animal that's fairly secretive," she said. " And it's not like it would be out exploring and getting in places it shouldn't. So, it's probably unlikely. And I suspect it's more likely that we had no idea that they were even there.
"Very few people have even seen a sharp-tailed snake. And the number of reports, over time, that we've received haven't been extensive. But when I've followed up and talked with people, it's clear it wasn't a sharp-tailed snake."
The next steps are for the scientists to confirm the species existence, as a population and not a random individual, through further observations. Much to the scientists' excitement, they are already making progress on this thanks to receiving more reports about the snake being found in Anderson Creek and people's backyards in Boston Bar.
In fact, shortly after his find, Ene' and Toshiro's neighbours found another snake. Isaac later drove up to area, on June 13, to collect it for studies and tests.
This has led to the scientists hoping to see increased local stewardship when it comes to observing and protecting the snake. It will, however, take a long time before the discovery can officially be added to the species' scientific portfolio.
The team is also planning on eventually meeting Toshiro in person and having him show them the area where he found the snake.
Because of this, Toshiro hopes he'll be added to any scientific or published papers about the snake.
"It would be an amazing feat to get your name on a scientific paper before you turn 18," Toshiro said. "But for people interested in exploring like I do, start off small. Never start something that will push you way past your limits. Maybe go on a little walk along the road, or, find a little trail. Start from there. And once you're comfortable, you can start looking for caves and other things that are higher and far away."
