If it was a snake it probably would have bit you. Or got squished on the highway.That’s because the number of slithery serpentine amphibians that wound up as roadkill on Alberta highways has gone up exponentially in the past year.According to Alberta Wildlife Watch, almost 400 snake carcasses were reported to it in 2023 compared to eight in the year prior and just two the year before that.Those are just the number that were reported to the Alberta government from Highway Maintenance Contractors and compiled in an online database.According to government statistics, Alberta has just six resident snake species, the most common being the Bullsnake which can grow to eight feet long and is the most likely to wind up being killed on the highway..Last year more than 7,000 animals were killed on highways and byways last year, up about 73% from 2019.Deer are by far, the most common roadkill with more than 4,200 killed in each of the last three years. That’s followed by skunks, coyotes, rabbits and raccoons, porcupines and moose. Also included are a decent number of pet cats and dogs.Every time an animal carcass is discovered it’s reported to the local highway maintenance contractor and logged on a a cellphone app. Observers weren’t sure if the actual number of animals killed was higher or if more were merely being reported in the years after pandemic lockdowns were lifted.The Alberta government says it uses the data to reduce the number of collisions and keep both people and wildlife populations safe.In the US, about 200 drivers are killed per year in national parks and are the second-leading cause of death.According to GPS data, the greatest number of snake strikes were located in and around Elk Island National Park northeast of Edmonton..By contrast, deer hits — both mule and white tail — were scattered evenly throughout Alberta. But experts said the sheer numbers killed would barely make a dent in the ruminant population, which is estimated at over 100,000 animals.By far the bigger threat to humans are bigger animals like moose, mountain sheep and elk. More than 500 moose were hit by cars in Alberta in each of the last four years alone.According to the Alberta government, wildlife-vehicle collisions cost Albertans approximately $300,000 a day in direct and indirect costs related to property damage, health care and highway cleanup. Between 2015-2020 they accounted for about 60% of all the crashes on Alberta highways.There are presently 16 underpasses and fence corridors under planning or construction outside the mountain parks, all of them in Southern Alberta..“This is a big deal. These projects show the province’s positive commitment and continued innovation to not only address deadly and costly wildlife-vehicle collisions, but also to improve wildlife connectivity. As highways become busier, these crossings will go a long way to prevent wildlife habitat fragmentation and will help keep large animals like elk, moose and grizzly bears connected,” says Tim Johnson, a landscape connectivity specialist with Yukon 2 Yellowhead conservation initiative. Although data in the National Parks is harder to come by, Parks Canada says on its website collisions with wildlife are down more than 80% overall and 96% specifically for deer, moose and elk since it began installing a series of 44 wildlife crossings and more than 82 kilometres of fencing starting in 1996.
If it was a snake it probably would have bit you. Or got squished on the highway.That’s because the number of slithery serpentine amphibians that wound up as roadkill on Alberta highways has gone up exponentially in the past year.According to Alberta Wildlife Watch, almost 400 snake carcasses were reported to it in 2023 compared to eight in the year prior and just two the year before that.Those are just the number that were reported to the Alberta government from Highway Maintenance Contractors and compiled in an online database.According to government statistics, Alberta has just six resident snake species, the most common being the Bullsnake which can grow to eight feet long and is the most likely to wind up being killed on the highway..Last year more than 7,000 animals were killed on highways and byways last year, up about 73% from 2019.Deer are by far, the most common roadkill with more than 4,200 killed in each of the last three years. That’s followed by skunks, coyotes, rabbits and raccoons, porcupines and moose. Also included are a decent number of pet cats and dogs.Every time an animal carcass is discovered it’s reported to the local highway maintenance contractor and logged on a a cellphone app. Observers weren’t sure if the actual number of animals killed was higher or if more were merely being reported in the years after pandemic lockdowns were lifted.The Alberta government says it uses the data to reduce the number of collisions and keep both people and wildlife populations safe.In the US, about 200 drivers are killed per year in national parks and are the second-leading cause of death.According to GPS data, the greatest number of snake strikes were located in and around Elk Island National Park northeast of Edmonton..By contrast, deer hits — both mule and white tail — were scattered evenly throughout Alberta. But experts said the sheer numbers killed would barely make a dent in the ruminant population, which is estimated at over 100,000 animals.By far the bigger threat to humans are bigger animals like moose, mountain sheep and elk. More than 500 moose were hit by cars in Alberta in each of the last four years alone.According to the Alberta government, wildlife-vehicle collisions cost Albertans approximately $300,000 a day in direct and indirect costs related to property damage, health care and highway cleanup. Between 2015-2020 they accounted for about 60% of all the crashes on Alberta highways.There are presently 16 underpasses and fence corridors under planning or construction outside the mountain parks, all of them in Southern Alberta..“This is a big deal. These projects show the province’s positive commitment and continued innovation to not only address deadly and costly wildlife-vehicle collisions, but also to improve wildlife connectivity. As highways become busier, these crossings will go a long way to prevent wildlife habitat fragmentation and will help keep large animals like elk, moose and grizzly bears connected,” says Tim Johnson, a landscape connectivity specialist with Yukon 2 Yellowhead conservation initiative. Although data in the National Parks is harder to come by, Parks Canada says on its website collisions with wildlife are down more than 80% overall and 96% specifically for deer, moose and elk since it began installing a series of 44 wildlife crossings and more than 82 kilometres of fencing starting in 1996.
