SHAUNAVON STANDARD (Saskatchewan) 28 July 08 Snakes on Plains
The number of people who have died from snake bites in this country might surprise readers.
Not because the number is too high.
In fact, the total number of recorded deaths in Canada attributed to snakes bites is three.
And its been stuck on that total for a number of years now.
The likelihood of getting bitten by a snake falls somewhere in the same category as “winning the lottery” and “getting struck by lightning.”
But to actually die from such a wound brings odds-making into an entirely different realm of calculation.
“Statistically speaking, if you were ever unlucky enough to get bit by a (venomous) snake, you would be much more likely to be killed on the drive to the hospital than you would from the actual bite,” said Jeff Hathaway, a member of the Reptiles at Risk team which made a special visit to Shaunavon last week.
Part of that reason for the low numbers, of course, is the fact there are only three types of venomous snakes in the country - the Mississauga Rattlesnake (found in regions of Ontario), the Prairie Rattlesnake, and the Pacific Rattlesnake of British Columbia.
“There is actually no record of anyone ever dying from a Prairie Rattlesnake bite in Canada, and they are the biggest,” said Hathaway.
Hathaway says there have been only two deaths ever attributed to Mississauga bites, both in Ontario, and the most recent of those cases occurred 40 years ago. (He wasn’t familiar with the circumstances surrounding the Pacific Rattlesnake incident.)
Hathaway and his team were in town as part of a mission to provide information about snakes and debunk some of those myths that have been created over the years.
“Almost everything people know about snakes is wrong in most cases,” said Hathaway. “That misinformation is brought on through the media - especially with movies - as well as from tales from our parents and grandparents.”
The touring Reptiles at Risk program is an outreach education project that helps spread messages of reptile conservation in places where species at risk reptiles are actually found.
Team members also spent their week in the Southwest visiting areas such as Grasslands National Park in Val Marie, Cypress Park, and communities around the Great Sand Hills.
The team stopped in Shaunavon on Tuesday, July 22. Later that evening they also travelled to the T.rex Discovery Centre for a presentation at Eastend.
The program was created to introduce Canadian youth and their families to this misunderstood group of animals, as well inspire them to be concerned about the animals’ conservation.
The effort is helped through the unique approach offered by Reptiles at Risk, which utilizes an interactive, hands-on experience to participants.
For instance, in Shaunavon last week, visitors were encouraged to handle some of the approximately two dozen snakes the team carries with them on their cross-country journey.
Among the snakes featured during the local visit were those native to the Saskatchewan landscape, such as the bull snake, western hognose snake and garter snake, as well as snakes like the black rat (Canada’s longest snake), rubber boa and corn snake, that are not found in this region.
About 30 people were on hand for last week’s presentation at the Grand Coteau Centre and many of them, both youngsters and adults alike, took the opportunity to get an up close look at the different snakes.
That interaction with the animals - where people actually get to hold the snakes in their own hands - has proven to be an effective way to increase knowledge and positive attitudes about the reptiles.
Believe it or not, research actually indicates that a human’s fear of snakes is not a natural instinct.
“Kids are not afraid of snakes,” said Hathaway, while watching a large group of Shaunavon youngsters wearing snakes around their necks, beaming and wearing huge grins on their faces.
However, it can take just one negative experience, even if it is on a movie screen, to ignite a fear for snakes that can last a lifetime.
“Even adults, if they get a chance to interact with them, quickly realize there is no logical reason for their fear of snakes,” said Hathaway.
“The interaction and hands-on part of the program allows people to experience it themselves,” he added. “They find out that the snakes aren’t slimy, they’re not gross, and they’re not trying to bite them. If anything, they learn that they’re kind of an interesting animal.”
An interesting animal, facing a challenging future.
Reptiles are the most “at-risk” class of wildlife in Canada, with about 80 per cent of this particular group on the endangered species list.
“That’s more than any other species in our wildlife,” said Hathaway. “And if we don’t stop doing some of the things we are doing, then we are going to lose these species forever.”
Another element of the Reptiles at Risk program is to inspire people to be concerned about the animals’ conservation, to challenge them to discover solutions to the threats posed to these species, and to highlight possible career options in the field of natural sciences.
Hathaway and his team is currently making their way across Canada, through Saskatchewan, Alberta and British Columbia, where they will wind up their tour on Vancouver Island during the Labour Day long weekend.
The group will then make their way back to their home base of Orillia, Ontario in September. More visits - including a potential school stop in Shaunavon -are tentatively booked for the return excursion early this fall.
The Reptiles at Risk project is a partnership between three organizations, all highly regarded in their fields: Laurentian University, the Canadian Amphibian and Reptile Conservation Network (CARCNET), and Sciensational Sssnakes!
Snakes on Plains