The rattlesnake was the focus of attention recently during Snake Day at Nk’Mip Desert Cultural Centre in Osoyoos, where the public got a closeup of the maligned reptile. (Richard McGuire photo)
More British Columbians are afraid of snakes than anything else, other than terrorism, according to a recent poll.
But snake biologist Jared Maida, in charge of the Snake Research Program at Nk’Mip Desert Cultural Centre, says snakes are something to respect rather than fear.
Rattlesnakes, says Maida, “are probably one of the most misunderstood and maligned creatures on this planet.”
Through events like a tour and open house recently during World Snake Day on July 16, Maida and his colleagues hope to educate the public about these fascinating creatures.
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The results of the recent poll, by Insights West, are astonishing. Terrorism is feared the most at 43 per cent, but snakes aren’t far behind at 40 per cent – tied with heights.
Snakes – including non-venomous ones – are more feared than nuclear war, at 37 per cent and even death itself at just 30 per cent.
“People have this Hollywood idea of rattlesnakes being ferocious and they’ll come out of the bushes to attack you,” says Maida. “That’s furthest from the truth… rattlesnakes don’t want anything to do with you.”
Rather, they are quiet and docile and only use their rattles when they want a potential predator to freeze and be stunned. More likely, they’ll hunker down, lie low and try to blend in using their camouflage, says Maida.
Their best defence mechanism, he says, isn’t their rattle or their venom, but rather their camouflage, which can make them almost impossible to spot until they move.
The venom, explains Cole Hooper, a biology student working with Maida, is used to kill and pre-digest small prey. When bitten, a small animal like a mouse or vole will drop quickly and the venom will eat away its tissues turning them to a gel-like texture.
Some types of snake elsewhere in the world can kill a person in a matter of minutes, but the potency of the venom of Western rattlesnakes is much lower. The antiserums now used are effective, meaning the risk of death is low.
“Snakes are something to respect,” says Maida, who specializes in rattlesnakes, which are the main focus of the research done at Nk’Mip. “Rattlesnakes are dangerous, they are venomous and they pose a threat to us. But understanding their behaviour and their ecology, we don’t need to fear them like we do, say, terrorism. You leave snakes alone and the snakes are going to leave you alone. They don’t want anything to do with you.”
The Snake Research Program, now in its 13th year, initially looked at ways to relocate snakes when construction was underway at Spirit Ridge and Nk’Mip.
The Osoyoos Indian Band (OIB) is a major contributor, allowing the program to operate at the Nk’Mip Desert Cultural Centre and to do research on OIB land.
Thompson Rivers University, Environment Canada and Bellstar, which developed the resort, also contribute to the program.
The work largely involves monitoring the migrations of rattlesnakes throughout the year from when they emerge from their dens in spring.
Maida estimates there are about 30 to 35 dens in the southern portion of OIB land, and currently the program is monitoring the movements of 17 snakes that have radio transmitters surgically implanted.
Hooper demonstrated to visitors how he moves an antenna around, listening to snakes on a receiver, using the angle of the antenna to determine their direction, a technique called “radio telemetry.” By circling around, he can triangulate to pinpoint the snake’s exact location.
Snakes also have pit tags, a tiny transponder, inserted under their skin so they can be identified when recaptured. Their movements are plotted with GPS co-ordinates to track their migrations.
“Snakes are migratory animals,” says Maida, adding that when we think of migratory animals, we usually think of birds and larger animals. “Snakes are migratory animals just on a much smaller scale.”
Rattlesnakes, he says, have an internal compass to know where they are going and they will travel as much as five to seven kilometres away from their dens.
But when snakes are relocated more than about a kilometre from where they were found, they can become confused and might not find their way back to their den.
Why study and protect snakes, especially rattlers?
Maida says they are an important component of the ecosystem in B.C., feeding on mice, voles and other small mammals, but also becoming food themselves for birds of prey like osprey, eagles and hawks, as well as animals like badgers, bears and coyotes. Some of these species are themselves endangered.
Rattlesnakes are also a good biocontrol agent for mice and voles, keeping their populations in check. This can be critically important for the winery and orchard industries of the Okanagan, Maida says.
Rattlesnakes have also been listed as threatened for some time, he said, noting that his research looks at the impact of development on these snakes and their habitats.
In addition to researching their movements, Maida and his fellow biologists and biology students also want their program to educate the public.
Maybe then they’ll get the respect and understanding they deserve and people will be a little less afraid.
The facts
Rattlesnakes will only become aggressive if chased or cornered; they are shy creatures which normally seek cover when approached, and usually give people a warning rattle.
Some rattlesnakes do not have rattles, including young snakes.
If you see or hear a rattlesnake, freeze, then move away, giving the snake a wide berth.
Rattlesnakes are protected from killing or capture in B.C.
Snake biologist Jared Maida is in charge of the snake research program at Nk’Mip Desert Cultural Centre in Osoyoos. He gave a talk on Snake Day when members of the public were invited to learn all about the fascinating creatures. (Richard McGuire photo)
Kirsten Hales, a snake biologist, marks a rattlesnake’s rattle with paint during to show the year it was captured. (Richard McGuire photo)
