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On May 5, 2014, I visited theNarcisse Snake Dens.Located about a hundred kilometres north of Winnipeg, these dens are the hibernation site of tens of thousands of Red-sided Garter Snakes (Thamnophis sirtalis parietalis), the prairie subspecies of the Common Garter Snake. When they emerge each spring, they’re something of a tourist attraction, one thatgets featured in the Canadian media. I don’t know how many government-supported tourist attractions there are in the world that are dedicated to snakes and snake conservation, but there can’t be many, and this is one of them.
For anyone interested in garter snakes, or even snakes in general, the Narcisse Snake Dens are a must-visit. Every spring, the garter snakes emerge ready to mate. A single mating ball — a large female surrounded by anything from several to dozens of male suitors — is impressive enough, but when thousands are out and about in the same location … well, you’ve never seen snakes so thick on the ground.
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One of two men charged with tossing a garter snake in a Saskatoon Tim Hortons restaurant has been given a six-month conditional discharge. His co-accused failed to appear at a hearing and is wanted by police. The snake, a Plains Garter Snake dubbed Outlaw, was released into the wild. (CBC News,Global News)
Garter snakes aren’t native toNewfoundland and Labrador, though a population of them seems to be persisting on the southwest coast of Newfoundland (1,2). Last month, though,a live garter snake was found in a St. John’s suburb — on the other side of the island. When wildlife officials went looking for it later, they found the snake dead.
About 250Plains Garter Snakes that were removed from a house near Regina, Saskatchewanlast fall were finallyreleased over the weekend (see also). The snakes had spent the winter at a wildlife rehabilitation centre.
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