Red-Sided Garter Snake Mating Ball — Narcisse Manitoba
Narcisse Wildlife Management Area in Manitoba hosts the largest concentration of snakes on Earth — up to 70,000 red-sided garter snakes emerging simultaneously from their winter dens in a writhing mass of bodies that covers the ground and fills the air with the musky scent of reptile pheromones. Males emerge first in their thousands, forming living balls of dozens of snakes around each newly emerged female in one of nature's most extraordinary and overlooked spectacles. Walking the trails around the dens in early May, snakes literally flow around and over your boots as they pour from cracks in the limestone. The emergence lasts 2–3 weeks, and the sight of thousands of snakes rippling through the grass simultaneously is simultaneously alien and deeply compelling — a remnant of an ancient world that exists nowhere else at this scale.
About this spectacle
Standing at the Narcisse Wildlife Management Area dens in early May, visitors encounter a spectacle unlike anything else on Earth. As many as 70,000 red-sided garter snakes pour from cracks in the limestone bedrock, their bodies forming a living, writhing carpet across the ground. Males emerge first in the thousands, coiling into mating balls of dozens of individuals around each newly surfaced female — a frenzied, slow-motion tangle of scales and motion. Snakes literally flow over and around your boots as they spill through the grass, and the air carries the distinctive musky scent of reptile pheromones. The soundscape is subtle — a dry rustle of scales, the occasional rustle of grass — but the visual effect is overwhelming and otherworldly. Trails are easy to walk, placing visitors directly among the action rather than at a distance. The emergence lasts two to three weeks, offering an accessible window into an ancient reptilian world that exists nowhere else at this concentration or scale.
When to go
May — Sep, peak May
Getting there
Nearest airport: YWG. Nearest city: Winnipeg.
Booking options
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