As the frost thaws and the sun shines, many critters are waking up from a winter slumber.
Rattlesnakes and bull snakes have been seen slithering around the Lethbridge coulees once again. However, they are not yet journeying from their dens.
“Right now, the snakes have just emerged from their brumation and they’re going to stick around their winter dens for probably three or four more weeks before they disperse throughout the coulees,” said Ryan First Diver, the rattlesnake wrangler for the City of Lethbridge.
Despite this limited mobility, the snakes are actually more dangerous at this time of year, according to First Diver.
“They’re really packed with a loaded venom. The longer they sit and they don’t use their venom, the more potent it gets. The first thing that they hit usually after the brumation — it dies like bang.”
However, he says humans and pets are unlikely to receive fatal wounds, though there are recorded instances of it happening, even if it’s rare.
“You can expect to be in the hospital for about three days and receive probably 10 to 15 vials of anti-venom to bring down your swelling.”
Even so, First Diver says watching where you step is all it takes to be safe.
“You’re very safe walking on the established city paths, none of those really approach any of the rattlesnake dens. If you go off on the unofficial paths, Then you have a chance of, perhaps, you’ll be coming within a couple metres of rattlesnake dens.”
He says the snakes tend to be in tall grass near the coulees. On Thursday morning, he found several bull snakes and rattlesnakes within 20 yards of a park bench and main path near Heritage Point on the west side of Lethbridge.
“I wouldn’t go running through, or moving fast through any of the grass, especially in places on the upper coulee rims and coulee shelves where there might be erosions or fissures in the ground.
“Those are the kinds of places where the snakes den up.”
A view of the Lethbridge coulees.
Erik Bay / Global News
Another thing First Diver recommends is snake fences for properties that back onto farm fields, coulees or other high-snake visited areas.
“It would be good to invest in rattlesnake fencing if you want to make sure that they’re not in your yard so you can let your pets and kids out and feel safe,” he said.
Snakes aren’t the only coulee critters to be wary of, however.
“Ticks are out and they tend to be more prevalent in the north and south, (though) that’s just anecdotal from what I’ve seen,” said Ralph Arnold, president of the Lethbridge Trail Alliance (LTA).
“I’ve had several members of the LTA tell me they’ve had ticks, so, watch for your dogs and yourself and little kids because they’re right down there where the grass is.”
Regarding snakes, however, Arnold says the fear of finding one is overstated.
“In my 30 years of riding in the coulees, I’ve seen one rattlesnake, three bull snakes and a bunch of garter snakes. Your odds of encountering a snake aren’t that high, they tend to avoid you.”
As spring blooms and the sun shines, use of the coulees is expected to be on the rise over the next month. Rattlesnakes will be among those active in the Lethbridge River Valley.
Justin Sibbet/Global News
Plus, he says the trails are just waiting to be used, with this time of year being perfect for them.
“Right now, the coulees are in prime condition. They’re dry enough for running, biking, walking, bird watching, you name it,” said Arnold.
When using the trails, he recommends an order of right-of-way etiquette. This means horse riders get the go-ahead over walkers, then runners and bikers are the ones who most need to watch out. He says following this order helps keep everyone safe in the coulees, which are busier than ever before.
“Since COVID, we’ve really seen an increase of popularity in the natural trails,” he said.
He says the LTA will be performing its first round of maintenance work on the trails this weekend. The group signed a partnership with the City of Lethbridge in December to take over much of the maintenance of the trails.
If you see a rattlesnake on a path or an area it shouldn’t be, you can call First Diver to move the snake. He says calling the City of Lethbridge at 3-1-1 is the fastest way to reach him.