Snake season is here, says local organization

“I actually saw two bullsnakes mating, and that was neat. I’ve never seen that before,” he said.

On any given afternoon, the organization Snakes on a Plain scours the city looking for possible den sites. Sheri Monk says now is when the snakes start to come out.

“Typically we start to see them in the beginning of April. They will stay close to their den sites for the first month or so until the overnight temperatures are warm enough that they can start exploring, and sort of head out to their summer breeding and feeding spots,” Sheri Monk said, noting Halloween is typically the end of the season.

Their company offers permitted snake relocation at no charge, snake fencing, and biological surveys. Monk also documents snake sightings as part of her research. She says so far this year there have not been more snakes than usual, despite perceptions on social media.

“Anytime we increase our footprint. We are going to see increased encounters, and that’s not about their increased population it is about ours,” she said.

Monk cited the increased sightings at the Westvue Dog Park as an example.

“That’s because it is a new park and people and dogs are now in an area where rattlesnakes pretty much had for themselves,” she said.

At Saratoga, it’s bullsnakes, that are most common, according to Monk.

“In those areas, they used to have rattlesnakes. But there has been so much human activity for so long that those populations have just declined to the point that they just don’t exist there anymore. Bullsnakes are more tolerant of human development,” she said.

According to the province, snakes are protected as a non-game animal under the Provincial Wildlife Act. That distinction makes it illegal to kill, possess, buy or sell snakes native to Alberta

There are six species of snake native to the province.

The prairie rattlesnake is the only venomous snake and it is considered a species of special concern, according to the province.

But despite the distinctions, that hasn’t stopped people from killing snakes. On a hike over the weekend, Snakes On A Plain discovered a dead female rattlesnake near a bike path.

“Likely that snake was run over by a bike. Biking is obviously a favorite activity of a lot of people. but in some areas where we know we have high or dense snake population there is a mortality that is associated with that,” she said.

Female Rattlesnakes, according to Monk, only breed every second or third year, and the same den is used every time. The killing of the female rattlesnake, Monk said, further cripples the already at-risk population.

With snakes out and about for the next little while, Monk’s biggest advice is to give them space and leave them alone.

“You don’t have to run away, they aren’t going to chase you. They are not going to jump at you. They see us as natural predators,” she said.

If a bite does occur, Monk advises to stay calm and seek medical attention. It is not advisable to ice, cut or suck the wound.

As for Harms, he is not deterred by his latest snake encounter and says he will continue to walk at the Saratoga Dog Park even with the slithering snakes in tow.

by Tiffany Goodwein

Snake season is here, says local organization

Our Community