Narcisse Snake Dens

The dens are the winter home of tens of thousands of red-sided garter snakes (Thamnophis sirtalis parietalis).

The population of red-sided garter snakes around Narcisse was roughly 70,000 until terrible weather in 1999 killed tens of thousands of them before they could reach their winter dens.

[1] This tragedy triggered concern about the snakes' biannual migratory path, which cuts right across Highway 17.

But after the winter of 1999, the population of garter snakes became dangerously low, causing Manitoba Hydro and volunteers to intervene.

Foot-high snow fences were built to force snakes into six-inch (15-cm) tunnels that went under Highway 17.