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by Konstantin Shamin

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Snakes on a plain: Manitoba’s Narcisse Snake Dens 

Each spring, a disquieting tangle of tens of thousands of gartersnakes emerges from their winter home, forming the world’s largest gathering of snakes.

The Narcisse Snake Dens, where a fluctuating population of around 75,000-150,000 red-sided gartersnakes overwinters in limestone sinkholes and, after emerging in spring, spends several weeks vigorously mating under a Prairie sun. The planet’s largest aggregation of snakes, it is observed by some 35,000 people each year, close enough to have the amorous animals slither over their shoes or be picked up by the more intrepid. Depending on who you are, this de facto Wonder of the Natural World is a scientist’s dream, bucket-list Instagram brag or, for those addled by the thought of even a single serpent, serious trigger-fodder. Yet regardless of where one fits on the spectrum, all leave Narcisse with two important gifts: a first-hand, David Attenborough-free recalibration of nature’s “wow” factor, and newfound respect for these mostly misunderstood creatures...

Read more: https://canadiangeographic.ca/articles/snakes-on-a-plain-manitobas-narcisse-snake-dens/