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Strathcona County is implementing new measures aimed at protecting plains garter snakes from vehicle traffic this fall.
The move comes after more than 1,000 snake deaths were reported from 2023 to 2025 along a seven-kilometre stretch of Range Road 210, between Township Road 530 and Wye Road heading south.
Margo Pybus, president of Friends of Cooking Lake-Blackfoot, was the one to bring the issue to the attention of the county.
“I drove that road in May of 2023 and counted 41 dead snakes in a relatively short portion of the road,” said Pybus.
The environment along the road is a popular habitat for garter snakes, Pybus said.
The east side of the road provides a mix of fields and ponds that the snakes prefer for finding food during the summer time, and the west side of the road provides optimal denning opportunities for the winter.
This means that snakes trek back and forth across the highway every spring and fall.
The warmth from the asphalt also provides an optimal resting spot for the cold-blooded reptiles when the days start to cool off, Pybus said.
Strathcona County is now collaborating with the Friends of Cooking Lake-Blackfoot, Elk Island National Park and the Beaver Hills Biosphere to come up with new ideas to make the highway a little safer for snakes.
“It’s not nothing we haven’t done before. It’s just specific to snakes this time,” said Jocelyn Thrasher-Haug, the manager for agriculture and environment for Strathcona County.
So far, the county has implemented seasonal electronic message boards, alerting drivers to watch for snakes, and have put out focused social media posts to increase awareness.
The county also installed permanent traffic signs, but after they were stolen on three separate occasions, decided not to replace them due to budget constraints.
The number of snake deaths has decreased since the measures were put in place, but whether that’s due to drivers being more cautious on the roads or a decline in snake populations is unclear, Pybus said.
If there’s something on the road that’s a metre in length and it’s moving — that’s not a branch and it’s not a rock– Margo Pybus
This fall, the county is aiming to further its efforts by installing fencing that will help direct the snakes to culverts that will allow them to access their dens without crossing the road.
Speed limits will also be reduced at one intersection where there is a known den.
The county also hopes to see people change their behaviour, Thrasher-Haug said.
“Not only looking at the culverts and the crossings, but people’s behaviour,” said Thrasher-Haug. “If we can manage people’s behaviour and educate them, that always helps us.”
Drivers are encouraged to keep their eyes peeled when travelling down Range Road 210 for snakes.
Garter snakes are easy to spot, if you know to look for them, Pybus said.
“If there’s something on the road that’s a metre in length and it’s moving — that’s not a branch and it’s not a rock.”
