Riesling and Rattlesnakes - Canadian Writers Group

DAY 1
The trail begins at the Okanagan
Nature Centre in Kelowna City Park.
Scott Alexander, an award-winning
educator, conservationist and resident
naturalist dressed in Ranger Rick
motif, proves to be a fountain of arcane
information about everything from water
bombers to wasps and, of course, rattlers.
Scott explains how the centre had
opened with a timely showcase of fire
ecology, then expanded to the not
unconnected issue of local biodiversity.
“Habitat is evaporating around
here, but agriculture is only part of the
problem,” says Scott, noting Kelowna is
also one of Canada’s fastest-growing
cities. “Housing and roads do far more
damage to rattlesnake populations.”
The issue here, at the northern edge
of the rattlesnake’s range, boils down to
the location of dens in the rocky scree of
hillsides, and the typical separation of
these from valley-bottom foraging habitat
by any kind of development.
Modern vintners take a more
enlightened approach to rattlers traversing
vineyards en route to and from dens
— in fall and spring respectively — than
orchardists of yore who simply did them
in, but local enmity toward rattlers still
runs deep.
As we drive north to check out a
roadside den, Scott relates the tale of
Vernon, B.C.’s rabid Reverend Mackie.
In the 1930s, taking a literalist biblical
view, the good reverend launched a
personal campaign to eradicate this
scourge. He spent 20 years clubbing
snakes, dynamiting dens and perpetuating
the serpent’s image as evil.
It was unfortunate that most farmers
got on his bandwagon, because rodents
are what damage crops, and snakes are far
more efficient rodent predators than
other animals — not only consuming
adults but locating nests and wolfing
down the young.
“Nobody complains if a rattlesnake
gets killed, but shoot a bear in a residential
area and everyone’s up in arms —
despite the bear being far more dangerous,”
Scott says.
In fact, rattlesnakes are among the
most reasonable forms of dangerous
wildlife — their first line of defense is to
remain motionless; they head for cover if
you get too close, and if you surprise
adventure
SMALL PACIFIC RATTLER, PENTICTON DEN
them or cut off retreat, they give an audio
warning. They’re reluctant to bite, and up
to 25 per cent of all bites are dry, that is,
no venom is injected. The Okanagan,
home to hundreds of thousands of
people, sees an average of only two bites a
year.
With wan afternoon light filtering
through rapidly yellowing leaves,
we climb a steep, rutted hill just off the
highway. At its crest is the den, with a
“RATTLESNAKES, YOU GOTTA LOVE ‘EM”
massive rattler wedged in its entrance.
Annoyed but not angry, it uncoils into
the dark vacuity. As I maneuver for a
photo, a yellow-bellied racer shoots
across the broken rock. The delicate but
harmless constrictor’s presence demonstrates
how several snake species often
hibernate together, and how destruction
of den habitat could spell doom for all.
Later, as the sun dips over Lake
Okanagan, we sip a dazzling
Gewürztraminer Alsace Clone on the
terrace of Gray Monk Estate Winery.
“Rattlesnakes,” gurgled Scott, “you
gotta love ‘em.”
january/february 2005 < AirLines 45