Snake-saving hibernation tubes could help dwindling species, if they're still around

A project to help snakes better survive the winter showed excellent results at the Ojibway Prairie Complex in Windsor. But it's a real question whether any of the species it's meant to help will be around here long enough to benefit from the research.

Last winter, biologist with Wildlife Preservation Canada Jonathan Choquette placed 21 garter snakes in artificial hibernation chambers underground. Only one died.

"We were monitoring them every two weeks," he said.

Eventually, the idea is to use this same technique for Massassauga rattlesnakes. The trouble is their population has been declining rapidly.

Choquette saw only one of them last year, and his searches for them this spring have come up empty.

"Essentially we have failed these animals," he said. "We saw one last year. That's it. It was a fairly abrupt drop-off from years prior but the population was quite small up to that point. Unfortunately, this year we have had no success."

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Getting the necessary permits, which have been ongoing since March 2017, is still a work in progress.

"It's still been very difficult working with the province when it comes to righting our wrongs to putting these animals back where they have been lost," said Choquette, adding the current pandemic is slowing down a lot of permits. 

"It's been very difficult getting permits for Massassauga work in general."

If he does find one, he plans to capture it and send it to the Toronto Zoo to be part of a captive breeding program.

The population is unique genetically, said Choquette.

Choquette said another challenge is winning support from the public to preserve a venomous snake.