The Massasauga is a pygmy rattlesnake; most adults are only 60 to 75 centimetres long. It is brownish with saddle- or butterfly-shaped darker brown blotches on the back that alternate with smaller blotches on the sides. The scales are keeled (ridged down the centre), which gives the snake a rough appearance). It also has three small rows of lighter colored blotches along each side. Massasauga rattlesnake © Sterling Sztricsko. S. c. catenatus is rather shy and avoids humans when it can. Park / Campground Usage (day use, camping, etc.) By 1988, the snake had disappeared from half of the counties that constituted its historical range. Solid black melanistic examples are also known, as well as cases where the back blotches join with those on the sides. Stocky with a well-developed rattle, the Eastern Massasauga is brownish gray with rounded dark blotches on its body. The eastern massasauga, a rare sight for most Michigan residents, has been declining due to fragmentation and loss of wetland habitat. and Wilson, R.J. (2001). [2], According to Campbell and Lamar (2004), a population also exists in southeastern Colorado that is morphologically somewhat intermediate between S. c. tergeminus and S. c. In Pennsylvania, only four of 19 historic populations still exist, making it a critically imperiled endangered species. Along the side of the head there are two narrow white lines circling a dark brown band. The eastern massasauga (Sistrurus catenatus catenatus), one of three subspecies of massasauga, occurs in the upper Midwest and southern Ontario. Howard K. Reinert and Lauretta M. Bushar, "The Massasauga Rattlesnake in Pennsylvania: Continuing Habitat Loss and Population Isolation", International Symposium and Workshop on the Conservation of the Eastern Massasauga Rattlesnake, 10.2305/IUCN.UK.2007.RLTS.T64346A12772707.en, Reporte de Fauna de la Region de Samalayuca UACJ, 10.1643/0045-8511(2006)6[742:seamhs]2.0.co;2, "Illinois Natural History Survey Collections", "312 IAC 9-5-4: Endangered species of reptiles and amphibians", "The massasauga is listed as a special concern in the U.S. state of Michigan", Royal Ontario Museum: Massasauga Rattlesnake, "Rattler makes rare appearance - on golf course", "Western Pennsylvania Conservancy - Eastern Massasauga Research", https://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=Massasauga&oldid=992437145, Articles with unsourced statements from November 2009, Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike License. These acts offer protection to individuals and their habitat. Severe internal bleeding causes the death of the small animals that this snake eats. The Ohio Department of Natural Resources has identified the three as the Northern Copperhead, the Eastern Massasauga Rattlesnake, and the Eastern Timber Rattlesnake. Loss and fragmentation of Massasauga habitat in southwestern Ontario continue to threaten this species throughout its current range. Like all rattlesnakes, it is a pit viper, and like all pit vipers, it is venomous Article was last reviewed on 13th June 2019. The Massasauga bites only as a last resort, and its striking range is under 30 centimetres (about a third to a half of its body length). The eastern massasauga is primarily associated with wetland habitats but some populations also utilize adjacent upland habitats for parts of its life history. The International Union for Conservation of Nature lists the global status of the massasauga as Least Concern. Fish and Wildlife Service as a federally threatened species. [citation needed] Both of these scenarios can be prevented by avoiding hiking through areas of low visibility (in rattlesnake country) when not wearing shoes and long pants and by leaving the snakes alone if encountered. [7], S. catenatus is found in North America from Ontario, Canada and western New York southwest to southeastern Arizona in the United States and northern Tamaulipas, Mexico. Massasauga Rattlesnake is a less comprehensive article, I'd like to merge it into this article and make it into a redirect. | I added some categories to the Massasauga Rattlesnake page so that it will remain more visible in the mean time. It also contains specialized digestive enzymes that disrupt blood flow and prevent blood clotting. However, because it is venomous, this secretive species has also been deliberately persecuted and killed by people who fear being bitten. A massasauga rattlesnake, like the one pictured here, was recently found in Jackson County when a Jackson County Forestry and Parks employee was … The Massasauga rattlesnake Great Lakes-St.Lawrence population is currently listed as Threatened and the Massasauga rattlesnake’s Carolinan population is listed as Endangered under the Ontario Endangered Species Act, 2007 and Threatened under the federal Species at Risk Act. Additional detail about legal protection for species at risk in Ontario is available on our Legal Protection page. WWF. [24], Canada: southern Ontario along the shores of Georgian Bay, Lake Huron, and Lake Erie, Considered to be its own separate species as of 2011. A Resource and Field Guide for Living with Rattlesnakes in Ontario. VENOMOUS Description: This rattlesnake has a row of dark brown blotches that run down the length of its back. Females may require three or more years to mature. Pp. [14] As of 2016, the massasauga is listed as Threatened under the Endangered Species Act.[15]. Frogs also constitute an important part of their diet: Ruthven (1928) mentioned that in Michigan they made up the main portion of their diet. The Massasauga rattlesnake is now a candidate for federal listing under the United States Endangered Species Act. Massasaugas generally are associated with water, are rarely found more than 50 kilometres from the Great Lakes, and often inhabit wetlands near rivers. Remember rattlesnake bites very rarely kill a person. The eastern foxsnake, eastern hog-nosed snake, eastern milksnake and northern watersnake superficially resemble the Massasauga. [22], The diet of S. catenatus consists of a variety of small vertebrates, including mammals, lizards, and other snakes, as well as invertebrates such as centipedes. [1] The eastern massasauga has been listed as a candidate species on the United States Endangered Species Act since 1999. The massasauga is one of the two venomous snakes in Wisconsin, the timber rattlesnake is the other. In Pennsylvania, the species has experienced a rapid decline largely because of habitat loss. The Massasauga rattlesnake Great Lakes-St.Lawrence population is currently listed as Threatened and the Massasauga rattlesnake’s Carolinan population is listed as Endangered under the Ontario Endangered Species Act, 2007 and Threatened under the federal Species at Risk Act. For official map representation of provincial parks, visit Ontario's Crown Land Use Policy Atlas. Related Species. Huge collection, amazing choice, 100+ million high quality, affordable RF and RM images. The Massasauga Rattlesnake, Sistrurus catenatus, is a diminutive species with a distribution in the United States which largely tracks the retreat of Pleistocene glaciation and the spread of grasslands. The population trend is unknown. It is vital you stay calm, apply a light constricting band (you should be able to fit 1 finger between the band and your skin) above the bite area to slow … This snake is most easily identified by its rattle, which is made up of interlocking segments that are added one by one when the snake sheds its skin, one to three times a year. The Massasauga has a vertical pupil (unlike all other snakes in Ontario, which have round pupils) and a triangular head with three dark stripes running down each side. [10][11][12] Michigan, the only state in which it is not considered endangered, lists it as "special concern". The Eastern Massasauga Rattlesnake Stewardship Guide. View an interactive map of the known ranges of Massasauga rattlesnakes in Ontario. For the Massasauga Rattlesnake, we considered critical habitat for the northern part of the species range as polygons with a 1.2 kilometre radius, based on the centroid of confirmed records of the species (2085 for Bruce Peninsula and 6726 for Eastern Georgian Bay. The eastern massasauga rattlesnake (Sistrurus catenatus catenatus) is a unique and fascinating part of Michigan's natural heritage. The eastern massasauga can remain undetected with the help of its pattern, even at close range. There are dark stripes on both sides and top of the head. Rattlesnake bites, while extremely rare in Michigan, can and do occur. tail has approximately 3 to 6 dark brown or black rings and tipped with a small rattle. You are using an outdated browser that is no longer supported by Ontario.ca. in length, although longer ones have been recorded. Description: The Eastern Massasauga is a small rattlesnake with a ground color of gray, tan, or golden tan. 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