Ryan Heavy Head stepped on a rattlesnake in Lethbridge last week.
He was not scared. He was not bitten.
The ecological consultant for the City of Lethbridge merely jumped backward, in the direction he had come, and went on his way. The direction of his jump was important, because snakes are leaving their dens this time of year and the presence of one snake could mean the presence of others.
Heavy Head is the person on the other end of the city’s rattlesnake call line.
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The snakes often enter city residents’ yards in search of food, water or shelter. Those concerned about a snake’s presence can phone, and Heavy Head or another volunteer will respond, catch the snake and release it at the nearest known snake den, most often in the coulees around the Oldman River.
The reptiles are helpful for farmers and ranchers within the prairie rattlesnake’s range in southern Alberta and southern Saskatchewan because their primary food is mice, voles and ground squirrels, all of which are unwelcome in farm homes, granaries and fields.
They also eat deer mice, bird eggs and insects.
“We want all our snakes to stay alive,” said Ken Moore, a Lethbridge nature centre volunteer.
He, Heavy Head and retired veterinarian Dr. John Nightingale gave a presentation about rattlers April 15.
“All snakes are beneficial,” said Moore.
No one in Saskatchewan or Alberta has ever died from a rattlesnake bite, he added, though several Lethbridge dogs have not been so lucky.
Rattlesnakes of all ages have venom but do not necessarily inject it when they strike. Early treatment normally results in complete recovery.
Prairie rattlesnakes are a protected species, and it is illegal under Alberta law to hunt, harm or kill them or mo-lest, damage or destroy their dens and hibernacula regardless of location on private or public property.
Fines of up to $100,000 and two years in jail are possible.
The snakes have excellent camouflage and are almost impossible to see in their native habitat, said Moore. Most people who are bitten are struck at the ankle, so boots and loose pants are good protection when walking in rattlesnake country. However, rattlesnakes avoid humans and can only strike in a zone about half their length.
Moore said the longest rattler he has seen in the Lethbridge region was two metres, but they come in all sizes.
Nightingale advised city residents on snake-proofing yards, but that is less practical for farmsteads and large properties.
“If you come across a rattlesnake, enjoy it. Be respectful,” said Nightingale.
Heavy Head, who handles rattlesnakes frequently, has never been bitten and said at least 80 percent of the snakes he encounters do not strike. He sees certain snakes so often in Lethbridge that he has named a few of them.
Tobias frequents an area of the city called Canyon Terrace.
“He’s a gentle giant,” said Heavy Head.
Two-Spot Sam frequents Canyon Close.
“He’s one of the locals.”
Rupert, another rattlesnake, has successfully recovered from surgery after getting run over. Vehicles are their biggest enemy in the next few months. Motorists and cyclists are urged to avoid running over them.
Contact barb.glen@producer.com
