The annual gathering of garter snakes, known as the largest in the world, is currently taking place in Manitoba’s Narcisse area, albeit a bit later than usual. Tens of thousands of these snakes are emerging from their winter dens in the Interlake region as spring temperatures allow them to start mating.
The delayed emergence this year was due to cooler weather conditions. Recently, the province announced that the snake population had reached a significant number, making it an opportune time for people to witness this natural spectacle.
Retired biologist Doug Collicutt explained that male snakes come out early to wait for females to emerge. Upon their arrival, a frenzy of mating activity ensues, with males vying to mate with the females. Visitors can observe clusters of snakes coiled up in “mating balls” during this period.
Collicutt noted that the snakes’ emergence is influenced by ground temperatures and rainfall levels. The lack of rain can impact their behavior as rainfall helps warm up their dens, facilitating their emergence.
Visitors walking the trail connecting the dens reported spotting numerous snakes despite the colder weather. Families, like Veronique Simard’s, traveled to witness the event, with children expressing fascination rather than fear at the sight of the snakes.
The snakes will continue their activities for about a month before dispersing to their summer feeding grounds, where they consume various prey such as leeches, bugs, and occasionally baby birds. By early September, they will return to their dens as fall approaches.
Although the snakes are believed to return to the same dens each year, the exact details remain a mystery due to the dens’ small size and complexity. It is estimated that the Narcisse area hosts between 70,000 to 100,000 snakes each spring.
Despite the unique spectacle, young visitors like Aiden Schmidt found the gathering of snakes to be fascinating rather than frightening, appreciating the intricate patterns of their scales.