Wrapped around the base of an antelope brush (Purshia tridentate) was a (Crotalus oreganus) peering at me through some branches. He sensed my presence long before I spotted him. Staying extremely still, he gave a couple tongue flicks which told me my proximity was making him feel uncomfortable.
Wading through the grasslands of common rabbit brush (Chrysothamnus nauseosus) and big sage brush (Artemisia tridentate), I was listening to wind blow and watching the weather push through the valley from the north end of Osoyoos Lake. Even in September, daily temperatures reached 35˚C in the shade. Out of the 15 rattlesnakes that were being tracked, the first to reach their den in the high rock outcrops on the east slopes arrived on September 21st. By October 12th all of the snakes had returned to their den for the winter. Depending on the rattler, at mid day we would find them 5 to 30m from last year’s den site.
Since 2002 the Osoyoos Indian Band in partnership with Environment Canada, has coordinated a research program out of the Nk’Mip Desert Cultural Center in Osoyoos, BC. The 470ha natural desert area is adjacent to Osoyoos Lake
Jeff Brown from the University of Guelph studied the 'Management of Rattlesnake-Human Interaction: the Effects of Short Distance translocation on (Crotalus o. oreganus)' for his masters degree. The radio-telemetry and mark-recapture techniques initiated by this project were continued this summer by Kyle Horner, also a student from the University of Guelph. Kyle is interested in studying the effects of the newly constructed snake fence on the rattlesnakes. In September Kyle returned to Guelph and I with the assistance of Camille Andrews and Alicia Newbury, tracked the snakes back to their dens.
A fence was built summer 2006 to divert snakes from their typical migratory routine heading straight to the lakeshores of Osoyoos Lake, through the Nk’Mip RV Campground. In 2002, there were high rates of adult mortality which prompted the construction of the fence. Unfortunately, the campground is situated along the lakeshores of Osoyoos Lake, typically an attractive location for rattlesnakes to forage over the summer. The main purpose of the fence is to create a define border around the Nk’Mip Rattlesnake Conservation Area. It would prevent unwanted interactions between snakes and campground users hopefully to decrease chances of snake mortality. A total of 47 snake funnels were inserted along the base of the fence to allow a smooth transition for the snakes as they were migrating to their dens. The funnels are a permanent feature in the fence that only allows one way snake access into the conservation area.
The Nk’Mip Desert Cultural Center is a state-of-the-art interpretive center with extensive indoor and outdoor exhibit galleries creating an interactive learning environment. It promotes cultural and environmental education, with excellent facilities that can be enjoyed by all ages. The centre sponsors and supports the rattlesnake research project and has daily snake interpretive programs from June to September. To learn more about the Nk’Mip center visit: www.nkmipdesert.com.
