The world’s largest gathering of snakes is currently happening in Manitoba, with tens of thousands of garter snakes emerging from their dens in Narcisse. This annual event typically occurs at the end of April when the weather becomes warm enough for the cold-blooded creatures to leave their winter dens in Manitoba’s Interlake region and start mating. However, this year, the emergence was delayed due to cooler temperatures in the spring.
The province recently announced that the snake population was high enough to allow visitors to witness this natural phenomenon. Retired biologist Doug Collicutt explained that male snakes come out early to wait for females to emerge. Once the females emerge, the males swarm around them, leading to mating activities. Visitors can observe large masses of snakes coiled into “mating balls.”
Collicutt mentioned that the snakes take time to emerge as the ground temperature needs to rise, and rainfall plays a significant role as well. Despite the delay, about 100 people were walking the trail connecting the dens. One visitor, Liam Warren, counted 59 snakes and expressed surprise at seeing so many despite the cold weather.
Veronique Simard, who had been eager to visit the snake dens since learning about them years ago, made the three-hour drive from Brandon with her family. Snake interpreter Raelene Sawatzky-Dyck explained that after the mating season, the snakes disperse to their summer feeding grounds where they consume leeches, bugs, and sometimes even baby birds.
The snakes return to their dens around early September as the fall weather sets in. Sawatzky-Dyck mentioned that it is estimated that 70,000 to 100,000 snakes could be in the area during any given spring. Aiden Schmidt, a 10-year-old visitor, found the sight of the gathered snakes fascinating and not scary at all.
Overall, the annual snake emergence in Narcisse lasts about a month before the snakes resume their regular activities. The unique behavior of these garter snakes continues to attract visitors from near and far to witness this remarkable natural spectacle.