Rattlesnakes still active in Lethbridge
Forget snakes on a plane. Everyone who saw the 2006 movie did.
How about southern Alberta rattlesnakes on the prairie instead?
Those are apt to pop up more frequently in the dog days of August, when hotter temperatures over the next few weeks means we could see even more rattlesnakes than usual.
That's because the snakes tend to leave their dens more when the weather is warmer.
Lethbridge and southern Alberta are home to the prairie rattlesnake.
It’s one of just three species of rattlesnakes in all of Canada.
Prairie rattlesnake, Aug. 12, 2022
While the rattlesnakes are out there, not everyone has seen the sneaky serpents.
“I've talked to people who have lived here their entire life and they have never come across a rattlesnake," said Curtis Goodman who works at the Helen Schuler Nature Centre. "Other times I run into casual visitors, it's their first time out and they run into a rattlesnake. So it really depends on where you are, what time of day you're out and about and what kind of activities you're engaging in."
Rattlesnakes are most commonly seen in the river valley and west Lethbridge.
Although it’s not uncommon to find rattlesnakes in other parts of the city as well.
More important than knowing where rattlesnakes are is knowing what to do if you’re unfortunate enough to run into one.
“Tthe best thing you do is stop, (and) take a look at your surroundings," said Goodman. "Once you've identified where that snake is, take a look around and see if there are any others that're close by. Last thing you want to do is turn around and run into the next snake. So once you have an idea of what your surroundings look like. If the snake is in front of you up to the right, just give it lots of space as you pass by it.”
Rattlesnakes won’t begin to hibernate until temperatures are consistently below 15°.
Until then residents of Lethbridge and southern Alberta as a whole will have to remain vigilant.
CTVNews.ca Top Stories
BREAKING Alice Munro, Nobel literature winner revered as short story master, dead at 92
Nobel laureate Alice Munro, the Canadian literary giant who became one of the world's most esteemed contemporary authors and one of history's most honoured short story writers, has died at age 92.
Latest updates on air quality alerts, and when the smoke may reach Ontario and Quebec
Wildfires have led Environment Canada to issue air quality advisories for parts of B.C., Alberta, Manitoba, Saskatchewan and the Northwest Territories, as forecasters warn the smoke could drift farther east.
Are these Canada's best restaurants? Annual top 100 list revealed
The annual list of Canada's top restaurants in the country was just released and here are the places that made the 2024 cut.
Attack on prison van in France kills 2 officers, inmate escapes
Armed assailants killed two French prison officers and seriously wounded three others in an attack on a convoy in Normandy on Tuesday and an inmate escaped, officials said.
Steal a car, lose your driver's licence for 10 years under new Ontario proposal
Repeat car thieves may face lengthy licence bans under proposed changes to Ontario’s Highway Traffic Act.
$1.6B parts plant for Honda electric vehicle batteries coming to Niagara Region
A Japanese company has announced it will build an approximately $1.6-billion plant in Ontario's Niagara Region that will make a key electric vehicle battery component as part of Honda's supply chain in the province.
B.C. brings in law on name changes on day that child killer's new identity revealed
The BC NDP have tabled legislation aimed at stopping people who have committed certain heinous acts from changing their names.
Manitoba premier to visit areas impacted by wildfire
Manitoba Premier Wab Kinew will get a close-up look at the devastation from a large wildfire burning in northern Manitoba Tuesday.
1 killed, 3 injured including toddler, after Hwy. 417 crash in Ottawa
Ontario Provincial Police are responding to a fatal collision involving two vehicles on Highway 417 in Ottawa's west end on Tuesday morning.