Where is Narcisse, Manitoba, Canada?
Manitoba is a province of Canada that is just north of Minnesota and North Dakota. Winnipeg is the capital of Manitoba, and Narcisse is an hour and twenty minutes north of Winnipeg. It is a very small town, nearly a ghost town, but every spring people come from all over to view the snake dens.
What kind of snakes are at the park?
The snakes are red-sided garter snakes, a smaller snake that can grow to be about 18 inches long. The males are smaller, usually about as thick as a finger, while the females are longer and thicker. They are black snakes with thin yellowish stripes going down the length of their bodies. Flecks of red are mixed in with the stripes and their undersides are a cream color.
How many snakes are at the park?
There are 70,000 red-sided garter snakes at the Narcisse Snake Dens. That is more snakes than people in the town! There are four main dens that the snakes can be observed at, with some being more active than others.
Why are there so many snakes in one place?
The geography of the Narcisse Snake Dens is what makes this area so unique. The limestone rock is close to the surface and provides many sinkholes for snakes to congregate. The sinkholes are low enough, below the frost line, that snakes can brumate (similar to hibernation) in the winter and survive. During brumation, the snakes remain awake but they lower their metabolism to use fewer calories and to maintain their temperature. The overall area that contains these sinkholes is limited, so thousands of snakes cram into the same few dens to make it through the winter. In the spring they stay put for mating and then disperse throughout the park during the warmer summer months. The Narcisse Wildlife Management Area works to protect this population of snakes.
When does the mating season for the snakes begin?
The mating season is every spring, usually sometime between the last two weeks of April and the first two weeks of May. Mother’s Day weekend is one of the most popular times for visitors at the park. The website maintains updates, based on the spring temperatures so people can plan ahead for the upcoming season. This year, 2022, the website says that we are experiencing a late spring with an estimate of Mid-May for good snake viewing. You can check the status here. Once they emerge the season usually lasts about 10 days.
What does the snake den look like?
You can stand on a bridge overlooking one of the snake dens and see thousands of snakes crawling all over each other like a moving carpet of black ropes. The Indian Jones reference has to be used here because it is just like the scene with the snake-covered floor. Sometimes they will get so involved that a mass of snakes will form a ball and roll down the edge of the den. Others form groups in the branches of low trees, wrapping themselves around the tree branches, with the occasional snake dropping after being bullied away from one of the females.
How do red-sided garter snakes mate?
The mating ritual is similar to other garter snakes. The odds are not in the male’s favor. Some years there may be as many as 100 males for every one female, so the competition is stiff. When the snakes emerge from brumation, the males emerge first and the females follow, days to a week or two later. The females emit a sex pheromone that alerts the males that she is ready. Multiple males then try to mate with the same female and often form “mating balls” as they struggle to be the first one to mate. More than one male can share its sperm with a female and once mating is done the female no longer emits her pheromones. The females store the sperm inside their bodies until they are ready to fertilize the eggs.
How many babies do snakes have?
The female snake gives birth in the summer to 20-40 live babies. The babies look very similar to the adult versions, only smaller and they are completely independent.
How many people come to visit the Narcisse Snake Dens?
Some years there have been as many as 15,000 visitors. It is a popular place for photographers, videographers, and is sometimes used in TV and movie productions.
Can you hold a snake?
Yes! Many school groups visit the site and the park staff encourages children to hold the snakes to give them an opportunity to develop a positive experience with snakes. Adults are encouraged to handle the snakes as well. The small snakes are not slimy, but one woman described them like holding a moving jump rope.
Are the snakes dangerous?
No. The red-sided garter snake is a docile animal that doesn’t seem to be bothered by being handled. The mob of snakes will not turn on you and chase you down! Even if you walked through the den it would be unlikely that you would get bitten or attacked. Garter snakes can bite but they do not have fangs like rattlesnakes, so it feels more like a nibble.
What do I need to know if I am planning a visit to the Narcisse Snake Dens?
First, check the website to time your trip when the mating season is active. The park is not very large but does have onsite parking and trails. There are bathroom facilities and a few picnic tables but you will want to bring in your own food and drink if you plan to stay for an afternoon. Maybe you want to check with your mom to see if she would enjoy a day at the largest gathering of snakes as a Mother’s Day outing (I know my mom would give a hard pass!).
