Casey Richardson
Plenty of Okanagan citizens have actually been identifying snakes wriggling through their treking courses or into their backyards, and the Okanagan Similkameen Stewardship Society would like the reptiles to be offered space.
Stewardship Biologist Lia McKinnon said the majority of the 7 types of snakes in the Okanagan are threatened.
“Our snakes that are in trouble are the [Northern Pacific] Rattlesnake, the [Great Basin] gopher snake is actually a threatened species, and the Western Yellow-bellied Racer was just listed as a threatened species. And there is some concern about the Common Garter Snake and whether or not they’re in decline as well.”
The Northern Pacific Rattlesnake is the only poisonous snake in the location, while the other 6 don’t bring much issue if anybody faces them.
“People sometimes don’t like snakes, and they will do things like swerve their cars to hit snakes or do other things to harm snakes, but the snakes aren’t going to hurt you. Some of our snakes will release a smelly musk if you pick them up,” McKinnon said.
Often individuals will error the Great Basin gopher snake for the rattlesnake because it is comparable in look. When approached, the gopher snake will deliberately imitate rattlesnakes.
“They’re helpers and they are an important part of the ecosystem. And really, for all of the snakes, they are as shocked to see you as you are to see them and they just want to move away and find a hidey-hole.”
Okanagan Falls homeowner Dolly Ferrier stumbled upon a big gopher snake on Monday afternoon simply off 14th Avenue by the channel.
As a passionate hiker, she said snakes are among the animals she’ll encounter a fair bit.
Ferrier handled to catch a video of the snake taking a trip through town while still providing it space so regarding not frighten it.
“There are quite a few bullsnakes in this area. I’ve also got pictures of the rubber boa, the only restrictor here in Canada that I saw as well,” she included. “It is quite cool getting out and seeing the wildlife.”
Snakes are safeguarded under the B.C. Wildlife Act, indicating it is unlawful to hurt, eliminate or eliminate them from the wild.
“Snakes are very important to our ecosystem, they’re what’s known as a mesopredator. So they’re a small predator, they’re really good at helping to control some of the mice and rats and other rodents. And then they’re in turn food for other larger predators.”
Whether individuals are treking in the hills, working outside, or playing in the dry Southern Interior of BC, snake encounters can be anticipated from April through October, when snakes are active.
“You’re most likely to see snakes sort of around dawn and dusk. When it’s really hot out like this, they’re going to be hidden away in kind of deep shady spots, because it’s actually too hot for them too. So dawn and dusk, when it’s cooler, they’ll be warming up, out in the open,” McKinnon included.
“One of the biggest threats to snakes is actually roads because they do kind of look like sticks if they’re stretched out on the road. So if you’re driving at those dawn and dusk times, then also keep an eye out for snakes and, and try and avoid them on the roads.”
The Okanagan Similkameen Stewardship Society deals with wildlife education, outreach, and workshops about snakes, especially focused on agricultural laborers.
“We will go out to farms and show people our education snake and talk about what to do if you encounter a snake and how to move a snake safely if you need to move a snake.”
Nora is the society’s Sonoran gopher snake, taken from an owner in Kamloops who had her without a license.
She can’t be launched due to being a southern subspecies of the gopher snake, so Nora works as an ambassador for all snakes in the area, assisting to break preconceptions that cause snakes being hurt or killed.
“I think the biggest piece of information [to take away] is that rattlesnakes are actually a very polite snake, they really don’t want to hurt you. So they do rattle because they’re trying to scare you. But it’s a warning system. It’s a ‘I don’t want to bite you. I’m here and I really don’t want to have to bite you’ because they don’t want any further interaction with you. They’re rattling, they’re saying ’Please leave me alone.’ So if they’re rattling and you carefully back away, they’re unlikely to do anything else. They just want you to leave the area.”
If individuals do get bitten by a rattlesnake, which can be rather unusual, McKinnon said health centers bring antivenom and there’s no requirement to bring the snake in.
To discover more about the Okanagan Similkameen Stewardship Society or discover how you can get included, head to their website here.
Photo: Okanagan Similkameen Stewardship Society
