Narcisse Snake Pits on:
[Wikipedia]
[Google]
[Amazon]
The Narcisse Snake Dens is a provincial
The population of red-sided garter snakes around Narcisse was roughly 70,000 until terrible weather in 1999 killed tens of thousands of them before they could reach their winter dens
This tragedy triggered concern about the snakes' biannual migratory path, which cuts right across Manitoba Provincial Highway 17, Highway 17. Every year, 10,000 snakes which try to get to or from their winter dens had been crushed under the wheels of vehicles. This had not been a problem before, because the vast population compensated for the losses. But after the winter of 1999, the population of garter snakes became dangerously low, causing
The Snakes of Narcisse , Wildlife and Ecosystem Protection
(Province of Manitoba)
(Nature North Zine)
Narcisse Wildlife Management Area, MB, CA on iNaturalist
If You're Scared of Snakes, Don't Watch This, National Geographic News
* {{Manitoba parks Geography of Manitoba Natural history of Manitoba Wildlife management areas of Manitoba
The Narcisse Snake Dens is a provincial wildlife management area
A wildlife management area (WMA) is a protected area set aside for the conservation of wildlife and for recreational activities involving wildlife.
New Zealand
There are 11 wildlife management areas in New Zealand:
* Horsham Downs Wildlife Ma ...
located in the Rural Municipality of Armstrong
Armstrong is a List of rural municipalities in Manitoba, rural municipality in the province of Manitoba in Western Canada. It lies in the southern area of the Interlake and was named after James William Armstrong, a Manitoba politician.
Histor ...
about north of Narcisse, in the Canadian
Canadians () are people identified with the country of Canada. This connection may be residential, legal, historical or cultural. For most Canadians, many (or all) of these connections exist and are collectively the source of their being ''C ...
province of Manitoba
Manitoba is a Provinces and territories of Canada, province of Canada at the Centre of Canada, longitudinal centre of the country. It is Canada's Population of Canada by province and territory, fifth-most populous province, with a population ...
. The dens are the winter home of tens of thousands of red-sided garter snakes (''Thamnophis sirtalis parietalis''). These pits are known to house the largest concentration of this particular type of snake in the world. Their winter dens are caverns formed by the area's water-worn limestone
Limestone is a type of carbonate rock, carbonate sedimentary rock which is the main source of the material Lime (material), lime. It is composed mostly of the minerals calcite and aragonite, which are different Polymorphism (materials science) ...
bedrock
In geology, bedrock is solid rock that lies under loose material ( regolith) within the crust of Earth or another terrestrial planet.
Definition
Bedrock is the solid rock that underlies looser surface material. An exposed portion of bed ...
. In the spring, they come up from their dens to the snake pits, where they mate, then they disperse into the nearby marshes for the summer.
Conservation
The population of red-sided garter snakes around Narcisse was roughly 70,000 until terrible weather in 1999 killed tens of thousands of them before they could reach their winter densThis tragedy triggered concern about the snakes' biannual migratory path, which cuts right across Manitoba Provincial Highway 17, Highway 17. Every year, 10,000 snakes which try to get to or from their winter dens had been crushed under the wheels of vehicles. This had not been a problem before, because the vast population compensated for the losses. But after the winter of 1999, the population of garter snakes became dangerously low, causing
Manitoba Hydro
The Manitoba Hydro-Electric Board (), operating as Manitoba Hydro, is the electric power and natural gas public utility, utility in the province of Manitoba, Canada. Founded in 1961, it is a provincial Crown Corporation, governed by the Manitoba ...
and volunteers to intervene.
Foot-high snow fence
A snow fence, similar to a sand fence, is a barrier that forces windblown, drifting snow to accumulate in a desired place. Snow fences are employed primarily to minimize the amount of snowdrift on roadways and railways. Farmers and ranchers u ...
s were built to force snakes into six-inch (15-cm) tunnels that went under Highway 17. Since some snakes still managed to squeeze under the fence and onto the road, signs were put up during the migratory season urging motorists to slow down to avoid accidentally driving over snakes. These measures worked, and now fewer than 1000 snakes per season are killed on the highway.
By 2024, the snake populations had mostly rebounded, with the number of snakes varying annually from 75,000–150,000.
Visiting
The conservation area is open to the public. The snakes are most active during the spring and fall, in late April to early May, which is the mating season, and also in early September, when the snakes slither back down to their winter dens.See also
* Rae Bridgman (author of The MiddleGate Books, which feature the snakes of Narcisse, Manitoba)References
External links
The Snakes of Narcisse , Wildlife and Ecosystem Protection
(Province of Manitoba)
(Nature North Zine)
Narcisse Wildlife Management Area, MB, CA on iNaturalist
If You're Scared of Snakes, Don't Watch This, National Geographic News
* {{Manitoba parks Geography of Manitoba Natural history of Manitoba Wildlife management areas of Manitoba