SlowSlither
OnthemarshyplainsofnorthwestCanada,it’sspringtime.Snakesslitheroutoftheground.It’soneoftheworld’sgreatgatheringsof snakes.
Red-sidedgartersnakeshibernatetogetheringroups.Thisallowsthemtostaywarminwinter.Whenthetemperaturesrise,massesofthesesnakesbreakfreefromtheirdens.Theymigratetotheirsummer homes.
TheNoseKnows
Whatguidesthem?Theirsense ofsmell.Thesnakeshavelong,forkedtongues.
Theypickupscentsfromthe
groundandair.Thesearepassedtoasnake’smouth,wheretheytastethescent.
Eachsnakecreatesascentmapofitssurroundings.Thesnakesusetheirscentmapstoreturntothesamedeneachyear.
Whenred-sidedgartersnakesmigrate,theymovebythehundreds.
