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Sneaky snakes were a slithering when the Salthaven West Animal Rehabilitation Centre pulled 102 Plains Garter snakes from the home of a Saskatchewan family on Sunday October, 19th. The snakes were searching for a warm place to hibernate for the winter when they stealthily slunk their way into the old stone basement of the home. The family noticed some of the snakes when they started invading other areas of the home including the kitchen and bedrooms.
Photo Credit: Salthaven West Facebook
Initially, only 56 snakes were found but another visit to the home revealed that more snakes were in fact at large. Found in the crevasses of walls and underneath the floor boards, 102 snakes were eventually taken from the home.
“Understandably [the family] did not want them there anymore but recognizing the environmental value of snakes they didn't want to kill them either,” read a statement on the Salthaven West Facebook page.
Photo Credit: Salthaven West Facebook
The Salthaven West representative explained that snakes are very loyal to their own hibernaculums and they figure that most of the snakes returned to their hibernaculum for winter hibernation only to find the area to be overpopulated. The large increase in the snake population may have influenced these Garter snakes to take refuge in the Saskatchewan home.
The largest snake is three feet long and the smallest measures only nine inches. Garter snacks have an average of 30 babies per litter, the most ever recorded was 90.
The snakes will be released in the Nature Refuge centre where there are known hibernaculums for them to hibernate for the winter. Four snakes were injured and Salthaven West will keep them in their care in order to help with their recovery.
One of the baby snakes has a broken spine and the centre is doing what they can to heal the animal. Hopefully, the snakes will be able to return to the wild in the spring.
Photo Credit: Salthaven West Facebook
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