Study looks to save rattlers from Canadian roads

In this arid river valley in southeastern Alberta, Adam Martinson is trying to find out why rattlesnakes cross the road.

Martinson, a University of Calgary student working on a Masters degree has come to Dinosaur Provincial Park, listed as a United Nations World Heritage site, to study why snakes slither onto — and too frequently die on — the asphalt blacktop of the region’s roads.

“Road mortality is a significant factor of influencing snake populations around the world,” Martinson said. “In southern Alberta it’s particularly important because the snakes aren’t moving very fast across the roads and there is a huge amount of development.”

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Tagged as: Adam Martinson, Alberta, Dinosaur Provincial Park, Rattlesnakes, Reptiles & Amphibians, Snakes, University of Calgary