Snakes a spectacle of spring but winter homes need space
Garter snakes have emerged from their winter homes over the past month, putting on a display that is a thrilling sign of spring for some, and nightmare fuel for others.
Either way, it's hands off.
"The males come out first," says Judy Fleetham, a zoologist by education and lover of the native serpents. "And then they kind of wind around the first female that comes out and then they just go. They swarm her basically."
The cold-blooded snakes live out the winter months deep in the earth, finding deep cracks in the rock along sunny south facing slopes, usually not too far from water. Called hibernacula, the dens are filled with anywhere from dozens to even thousands of snakes in some places.
"One of the first signs of spring that I love is the snakes and the crocuses," Fleetham says.
The snakes and their hibernacula are protected under provincial law, so while there is nothing wrong with watching the snakes, any damage or interference with them is an offence under the Wildlife Act.
The city says it wants to hear from anyone who thinks they know where a hibernaculum is located.
"There’s probably under 100 in the city itself but some of them can be quite large," says Tanya Hope, a parks ecologist with the City of Calgary.
There's at least one well-known location in the northwest, but the city doesn't share known locations.
"The ones that we do know we keep an eye on them. We don’t really sign them or point them out because the secret to the protection is to kind of keep the secret," Hope says.
Garter snakes are harmless to people and feed mostly on aquatic creatures such as tadpoles and sometimes fish.
Another fun fact - while they mate in the spring, they have their babies in the late summer.
"They give birth to live young, they don’t lay eggs," says Fleetham. "The little baby snakes are about six inches long and they’re born live."
CTVNews.ca Top Stories
NEW After hearing thousands of last words, this hospital chaplain has advice for the living
Hospital chaplain J.S. Park opens up about death, grief and hearing thousands of last words, and shares his advice for the living.
BREAKING Police cordon off Iran consulate in Paris where man threatens to blow himself up: French media
French police cordoned off the Iranian consulate in Paris on Friday, where a man was threatening to blow himself up, Europe 1 radio and BFM TV.
Some Canadian families will receive up to $620 per child today
More money will land in the pockets of some Canadian families on Friday for the latest Canada Child Benefit installment.
BREAKING Iran fires at apparent Israeli attack drones near Isfahan air base and nuclear site
An apparent Israeli drone attack on Iran saw troops fire air defences at a major air base and a nuclear site early Friday morning near the central city of Isfahan, an assault coming in retaliation for Tehran's unprecedented drone-and-missile assault on the country.
American millionaire Jonathan Lehrer denied bail after being charged with killing Canadian couple
American millionaire Jonathan Lehrer, one of two men charged in the killings of a Canadian couple in Dominica, has been denied bail.
Ottawa to force banks to call carbon rebate a carbon rebate in direct deposits
Canadian banks that refuse to identify the carbon rebate by name when doing direct deposits are forcing the government to change the law to make them do it, says Environment Minister Steven Guilbeault.
Ontario woman loses $15,000 to fake Walmart job scam
A woman who recently moved to Canada from India was searching for a job when she got caught in an online job scam and lost $15,000.
After COVID, WHO defines disease spread 'through air'
The World Health Organization and around 500 experts have agreed for the first time on what it means for a disease to spread through the air, in a bid to avoid the confusion early in the COVID-19 pandemic that some scientists have said cost lives.
Prince Harry formally confirms he is now a U.S. resident
Prince Harry, the son of King Charles III and fifth in line to the British throne, has formally confirmed he is now a U.S. resident.