It was a long drive around Winnipeg and north to the small town of Narcisse, Manitoba. Narcisse is home to some world famous snake dens, the winter home to perhaps as many as 700,000 red sided garter snakes. I decided I just had to see their emergence and mating ritual. As I arrived at the site I realized I would not be able to park in the parking lot there, but instead along the side of the highway due to the high visitation. As I walked the 1/2 mile from where I parked my car to the snake dens, I noticed the "snake fence" that had been erected to protect the snakes from getting run over by cars.
The fences corral the snakes into tunnels that lead under the highway.
As I arrived at the entrance to the site, it was obvious just how popular the site is on spring days. There were people everywhere and lines to use the pit toilets. It would be impossible to avoid the crowds. I followed the well-marked and maintained trail system to the snake pits.
They are sinkhole depressions in this area of limestone. in some areas, acidic water has enlarged cracks in the limestone, in essence creating mini caves that reach below the frostline and allow a safe and relatively warm area for the snakes to spend their winter. As temperatures warm up, the snakes emerge from their dens and are ready to mate.
I observed two small "mating balls" where the male snakes try to mate with a female.
Overall, the site was a bit of a disappointment. I realize the snake emergence is a natural phenomenon and impossible to predict, but there were far more people to observe than snakes. While most people were respectful, I observed a few throwing sticks at the snakes and squirting water at them. It made for a less than optimal experience. I walked the trails twice and then returned to my vehicle for the long drive back to International Falls.
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