Narcisse, Manitoba, is no place for ophidiophobes.
NAR-HISSSSSS
The greatest concentration of red-sided garter snakes in the world lives 90 minutes north of Winnipeg. The combination of limestone dens and marshes makes it an ideal environment for snakes. Just after the snow melts in late April and early May, tens of thousands of red-sided garter snakes congregate at the surface, rising from their winter homes at the Narcisse Snake Dens. It is said that you can see more snakes at a glance here than anywhere else in the world.
The serpents slither out of their subterranean limestone caverns and begin their frenzied mating ritual. The cavorting reptiles writhe in the warm weather in great tangled heaps. It’s not unusual for 10, 20, or even 50 male snakes to pounce on an adult female snake, which can be three times the size of a male. Forming a mating ball, the excited snakes make a unique rustling sound and give off a musky odor. After successfully mating, the female emits a hormone that warns other snakes to stay away. When the males are done mating they want to eat; a favorite meal is frog.
BRUMATION STATION
Despite the feverish activity of the mating ritual, the reproductive cycle for garter snakes is surprisingly slow. Snakes do not breed for at least three years, and only once every other year after that. A female’s first brood is usually no more than five young, of which approximately 80 percent do not survive their first winter. Fifty percent of snakes born in a given year die before the next mating season. As female snakes age, they get more productive: an adult female (classified as anything over 80 cm) can give birth to up to 40 snakes every other year.
After the mating season, the snakes disperse from the area above the dens to their summer feeding habitats. The females give birth to live young in wetland areas up to 20 kilometers away. Prime summer habitats are moist areas with expansive ground cover and plenty of invertebrates and amphibians to feast on. Unfortunately, in recent years drought and excessive land development have led to a decrease in available feeding habitats.
The rock group 54°40, based in Tsawwassen got its name from a U.S.–Canada border dispute.
In late August and early September the snakes return to their winter dens. When the weather turns colder, they make their way deep underground and pass their winters in a state known as brumation, where their body temperature cools to around 4 degrees Celsius, the temperature of the surrounding air.
THE LONG AND WINDING ROAD
Every year, about 45,000 visitors come to wend their way through the snakes’ pits on viewing platforms. Visitors are even allowed to handle the snakes, and while the serpents might bite, their undersized teeth don’t usually break the skin. The larger danger of snake wrangling is getting pooped on. Garters generally poop when they are scared, and a pungent and unpleasant smell from their output can hang around for quite some time. So while visitors have little to fear except stinking, the garters themselves must watch out for crows and other birds looking for a tasty meal. Seems these flying predators think nothing of ripping the liver from the snakes’ bellies, leaving the lifeless garter remains splayed out for visitors to see.
In 1995, to promote tourism in the area, the tiny town of Inwood, located near the main garter dens, constructed an impressive garter statue. Designed by Marlene Hourd and built by volunteers, the base stands 4.6 meters high and consists of granite and limestone rocks. On top of the rocks are two slithering garters affectionately known as “S-s-sam” and “S-s-sara.” These snake statues are around 8 meters long and are made from re-bar, polyurethane foam and fiberglass.
In 1999, a bout of harsh weather killed tens of thousands of Narcissa’s snakes before they could return to their winter dens. This prompted concern about the snakes’ migratory patterns, particularly their crossing the heavily trafficked Highway 17. A combination of fences that force the snakes into underground tunnels beneath the roadway as well as increased signage to warn drivers have greatly reduced unnecessary snake deaths.
A six-pack of beer was called a “poverty pack” during the Great Depression.