asmith@medicinehatnews.com
With warmer overnight temperatures, Medicine Hat and area will see rattlesnakes starting to move out into their summer hunting grounds, but this is nothing to fear.
Currently, overnight temperatures are preventing most snakes from dispersing from their overwinter den sites, said Sheri Monk, owner of Snakes on a Plain, a company specializing in snake behaviour.
“Right now, they’ll be coming up during the day and basking, before going back down at night,” said Monk. “Once it’s sort of warm enough overnight, then they’ll start migrating. And that’s when we’ll start to see more encounters, where people might have them in their yards, or they might encounter them out when they’re running.”
This transition is likely to happen over the next two weeks, said Monk, but she stresses that preventing an encounter with a prairie rattlesnake from going poorly is relatively simple.
“Wear footwear that covers up to the ankle, if you’re going to be walking or biking on trails,” said Monk. “Stay away from sandals. In the rare instances where I do see a bite, it’s often in circumstances like that.”
Monk also stressed the importance of keeping dogs on leashes within rattlesnake country, as most bites do happen with off-leash dogs. However, even these aren’t terribly common, said Monk, as rattlesnakes are not aggressive animals.
“Their venom is actually very resource intensive for them to make. So once they use their venom, depending on the size of the snake, it can take, you know, a week to two weeks to replenish it. So that means another week or two without eating,” said Monk. “They won’t want to waste it on a defensive bite.”
Monk compared what is commonly seen as aggressive behaviour from the snakes, such as rattling, hissing and the distinctive S-shaped stance to that of a frightened cat, explaining that they are simply trying to appear threatening in order to deter what they perceive to be a danger.
In the event of a snake encounter, said Monk, the safest response is very easy.
“If you back away, maybe 12-14 feet, the snake will resume whatever it was doing before you encountered it,” said Monk. “You’re safe to watch it from there. Don’t throw anything at it, just step back and go around it. Always watch the ground, because there’s always a chance when they see one that there could be more, though they don’t often run in packs.”
If the encounter is in an inappropriate setting, such as a residential yard, Monk encourages residents to call their local bylaw, but if bylaw is unavailable, they can contact Snakes on a Plain for a free snake relocation.
Monk notes she will move rattlesnakes, but not harmless snakes such as garter snakes or bull snakes.
She also offers snake safety courses for those looking to deepen their knowledge of their scaled neighbours, including an upcoming free presentation at the Medicine Hat Public Library on May 16 for anyone interested.
