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SK Press: Lifetime steward of snakes

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Posted by: W von Papineäu at Sun Jun 8 18:53:29 2008  [ Report Abuse ] [ Email Message ] [ Show All Posts by W von Papineäu ]  
   

MAPLE-CREEK NEWS-TIMES (Saskatchewan) 29 May 08 Wolfer a lifetime steward of the land and snake (Sheri Monk)
Floyd Wolfer has been living with rattlesnakes for as long as he can remember and he has never been bitten. The 84-year-old lives northwest of Burstall, just across the border and is technically an Albertan. While he sold his land a few years ago, he kept the family’s homestead and still lives in the small two-bedroom house his father built nearly 80 years ago after his parents moved from North Dakota to Canada.
The land behind Wolfer’s homestead rolls gently toward the South Saskatchewan River. Cattle make the trek from other pastures to drink at the freshwater spring on the land and don’t seem to mind the rattlesnake dens they cross to get there.
There are several den sites on the property that are the winter home to at least three species of snakes. Bullsnakes, garter snakes and prairie rattlesnakes will often share the same den network and can sometimes be seen basking in the warm spring sun before dispersing across the land for summer feeding. The one thing Wolfer has never seen on the land is a gopher hole.
“Those snakes seem to keep them away,” he chuckled. “I’d sooner have the snakes. Those gophers can cause a terrible mess.”
Prairie rattlesnakes (Crotalus viridis viridis) are native to Saskatchewan and Alberta and are protected in both provinces. While Wolfer does not harm the animals, he is not a snake charmer and prefers to keep a healthy distance away from them. He’ll speak of times when a rattler was coiled up beside his front step or beside his tractor. To Wolfer, the snakes are as much a part of the land as the local cowboys, the grass and the river.
Growing up in snake country, it wasn’t uncommon many years ago for kids to shoot the snakes as they emerged from known den sites. Wolfer however, has always tolerated their presence and certainly likes them more than the magpies he used to shoot. “I got my first 22 because of them magpies. Back in those days, cattle were so thin and the magpies would set on top of them and just peck away until there were holes in their hide.” At the time, the government would pay five cents for two magpie legs. When Wolfer was 12, he turned over 200 legs and bought his first gun.
Wolfer has seen many changes over the years. In 1961, he was hired to build the bridge over the South Saskatchewan River at Highway No. 41. Before the bridge was built, the only crossings were by ferry. Wolfer says he was paid $2.50 an hour. “Back then, a pair of jeans was only $2, a bottle of beer was... I think... 75 cents and a good pair of gloves was $1. Those were good wages back then.”
What hasn’t changed, according to Wolfer, are the number of rattlesnakes in the area. He keeps the grass in his yard short and is very wary of trekking through the longer grasses at the north side of the yard. Wolfer still does chores every day. He helps the new landowner of the pasture below his yard by checking on the cattle daily.
Wolfer, who was never married, enjoys visiting with the tourists that happen upon his camp, which was never upgraded to have indoor plumbing. Visiting game-bird hunters from the U.S. have come to see his snakes and while he can’t make the hike down to the den site anymore, he can still drive his old truck down the rugged slopes to show off one of the largest rattlesnake holes on the land.
Prairie rattlesnakes are extremely sensitive to any change in their environment. They rely on specific den sites called “hibernaculum” to survive the long cold winter. If den sites are destroyed, the rattlers seem unable to find another suitable den and an entire locale can be eliminated.
As a result, Sask. Environment keeps den site locations away from the public to protect the population.
Highway 41 North in Alberta has large signs to alert drivers to rattlers on the move in an effort to cut down on the road-killed carnage as vulnerable populations move to and from den sites into surrounding feeding grounds for the summer.
The den sites are clustered in certain areas around the Red Deer and South Saskatchewan rivers. The South Saskatchewan River provided a lifeline to Wolfer’s family years ago. It watered their cattle and allowed for fresh fish to be caught to supplement the family’s meals. “We used to eat a lot of sturgeon. It’s fairly fatty, but there aren’t a lot of bones,” said Wolfer of the massive prehistoric fish which is now protected.
In the fall, the snakes return to their winter home. Pregnant females will give live birth in smaller holes called “rookeries” which are typically found in close proximity to the winter den site. Mature females of the species will only reproduce every second or third year and the process takes a lot out of them. When gravid (pregnant), the females will often spend much of the summer near the hibbernaculum while their babies develop inside of them. Newborns don’t have a rattle, just a small start of one referred to as a “button” and it doesn’t yet make any sound. As the snake grows and sheds its skin, the rattle will grow in length. They do arrive however, with venom and need to be treated in the same manner as an adult rattler.
When the snakes are on the move in spring and fall, Wolfer will often find a basking rattlesnake on the concrete front step to his home. “A guy learns to watch where he’s going. I know they’ll make noise before I find them, but I worry I won’t hear the rattle in strong winds,” said Wolfer.
Prairie rattlesnakes are typically reluctant to bite as venom production is resource intensive and primarily used for subduing prey before consumption. Rattlesnakes will strike their prey (usually rodents) and will wait until the animal is dead or motionless before beginning to swallow it whole. Snakes without venom, like the bullsnake, kill their food items by constriction–wrapping their muscular bodies around the animal to suffocate it.
In most instances, a rattlesnake will retreat before it is ever seen or will coil up and sound the alarm, loudly shaking its rattle to ward off possible predators. However, it is not entirely uncommon for a rattler to break off its fragile rattle. When one spots a snake, other means of identifying whether it’s a rattler should be used. Rattlesnakes have a triangular head. The bulges at each side of the face are the result of the location of their venom glands, which house the venom before it is delivered through two hollow needle-like fangs. In all cases, if one is unsure if a snake is venomous, it should be left alone.
Bites typically occur when the snake is being handled or when it is surprised and inadvertently stepped on. In all instances, bites are a defensive response to a perceived threat rather than an unprovoked display of aggression.
When traveling in rattlesnake country, one must pay attention to the ground and any objects such as logs that need to be crossed. Hiking shoes or boots that extend above the ankle area are a good idea and a walking stick can be used for gently checking long grass before walking through it. There have been few recorded accounts of rattlesnake bites in Canada, yet every day thousands ride or walk through rattlesnake country.
The venom properties of the prairie rattlesnake are primarily cytotoxic, meaning the venom destroys flesh cells. While almost all snake venom contains some degree of neurotoxic (affecting the nerves and brain) components, prairie rattlesnake bites can usually be treated with success with an anti-venin called Crofab, which is stocked by the Cypress Health Region. A severe envenomation can require several vials of anti-venin, which cost $1,100 each.
Though not as widely appreciated for beauty as the burrowing owl, the prairie rattlesnake is one of three species of rattlesnake that remain in Canada and all are an important part of their respective eco-systems.
Wolfer a lifetime steward of the land and snake


   

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