A suspected adult rattler on the side of the road outside Medicine Hat.--SUBMITTED PHOTO
amccuaig@medicinehatnews.com
The mid-day heat plaguing the region is likely proving to be too much for the city’s snake population to bask in, according to a Police Point Park interpreter. That doesn’t mean they aren’t around, but just nestled in the brush.
Police Point Park interpreter Marty Drut says while the cold-blooded snakes in the city – prairie rattler, bull and garter – may need the air temperature to be high for survival, the ambient heat is likely allowing them to get their fix in the shade.
But don’t be surprised to see them emerge in the mornings and evenings.
“They are around,” said Drut. “You have to be aware of your surroundings as you never know when they are going to pop up.”
Drut is stressing not to handle the snakes if possible and that their senses are sensitive enough they will move on if they encounter humans.
But bites can occur as the snakes “are trying to defend themselves because we are in their space.”
As neither bull or garter snakes are venomous, Drut says wounds should be clean and monitored for infection.
Rattlesnake bites will require medical attention to be safe.
Complicating matters is determining whether the snake is a bull or rattler.
Drut said a recent encounter he had with a bull snake saw it go “into its full rattlesnake impersonation.”
That includes coiling, using its tail to rattle nearby vegetation to mimic a rattle and even flattening its head to imitate the diamond-shaped head of the rattler.
Young rattlers can also pose some issues with identification as, depending on how young, it may not have developed a rattle.
Drut says young rattlers also have a justified reputation for being more dangerous as, “they give you a full dose (of venom) and don’t hold back.”
That’s unlike older rattlesnakes which may protect its venom for prey and may only hit humans with small doses or even a dry bite.
The best protection in any circumstance is to be aware of your surroundings just about anywhere in the city, said Drut.
