U.S. Fish & Wildlife Service

Eastern Massasauga Sistrurus catenatus The eastern massasauga rattlesnake has been listed as a threatened species under the Endangered Species Act. Threatened species are animals and plants that are likely to become endangered in the foreseeable future. Identifying, protecting, and restoring endangered and threatened species is the primary objective of the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service’s endangered species program.

What is an eastern massasauga rattlesnake? Appearance: Massasaugas are Photo courtesy of Dan Kennedy; Michigan DNR small snakes with thick bodies, heart-shaped heads and vertical Reproduction: Like all Range: Eastern massasaugas pupils. The average length of rattlesnakes, massasaugas bear live in an area that extends from an adult is about 2 feet. Adult live young. Depending on their central New York and southern massasaugas are gray or light health, adult females may bear Ontario to southcentral Illinois brown with large, light-edged young every year or every other and eastern Iowa. Historically, chocolate brown blotches on the year. When food is especially the snake’s range covered this back and smaller blotches on the scarce they may only have sides. Young snakes have the same young every three years. Most Massasaugas are docile, markings, but are more vividly massasaugas mate in late summer, secretive snakes that will colored. Other snakes that look and give birth about a year later. try to escape rather than similar include the fox snake, milk Litter size varies from 5 to 20 fight. But they will protect snake and hognose snake. young. themselves and may bite if cornered. Be cautious Habitat: Massasaugas live in wet Feeding Habits: Massasaugas eat in massasauga areas by areas including wet prairies, small rodents such as mice and wearing leather boots or marshes and low areas along voles but they sometimes eat frogs shoes, watching where rivers and lakes. In many areas and other snakes. They hunt by you place your hands and massasaugas also use adjacent sitting and waiting. Heat sensitive feet and walking around, uplands during part of the year. pits near the snakes’ eyes alert rather than over, fallen They often hibernate in crayfish the snake to the presence of prey. logs. Treat massasaugas burrows but may also be found They can find their prey by sight, with respect, like any wild under logs and tree roots or in by feeling vibrations, by sensing animal. If you are bitten by small mammal burrows. Unlike heat given off by their prey, and a massasauga, seek medical other rattlesnakes, massasaugas by detecting chemicals given off help immediately. hibernate alone. by the animal (like odors). same area, but within this large massasaugas. The snake’s habitat education about the docile nature area the number of populations needs vegetation control such of the snake, its habits, and its role and numbers of snakes within as prescribed fire and mowing in the ecosystem will help people populations have steadily to prevent invasion of shrubs, feel more comfortable living with shrunk. Generally, only small, trees and non-native plants. this rare creature. isolated populations remain. The Woody plant invasion is reducing eastern massasauga is listed as the amount of available habitat Why do we want to endangered, threatened, or a in some areas. Where land conserve the eastern species of concern in every state massasauga? and province where it is found. is managed to prevent woody invasion, snakes may be killed by Ecosystem Role: The massasauga plays an important role in its prescribed fire and mowing when ecosystems, both as a predator on Why has the eastern it happens after snakes emerge small mammals, other snakes, and massasauga been listed as a from hibernation. threatened species? amphibians and as prey for hawks, owls, cranes, and some mammals. Eradication: People seem to What is being done have an innate fear of snakes and fear of venomous snakes is to conserve the eastern Indicator Species: The fact that particularly strong. Massasaugas massasauga? massasaugas are in serious decline are often killed when they show Research: Researchers are is a warning bell telling us that up near homes or businesses, and studying the eastern massasauga something is wrong. The story people may go out of their way to learn about its life history, of the massasauga is similar to to kill or even eliminate them. about how it uses its habitat, and the story of many plants and Indeed, many states had bounties how we can manage for it and its animals that need wetlands or on all rattlesnakes, including habitat. a combination of wetlands and massasaugas. uplands to survive. When we drain Habitat Management: Many wetlands and develop in natural remaining populations of areas, we push our wild plants Habitat loss: Massasaugas massasaugas are on public land and animals onto ever smaller depend on wetlands for food and and privately owned natural isolated islands of habitat where shelter and often use nearby areas. Some land management it is difficult for them to survive. upland areas during part of practices on those properties By conserving massasaugas, we the year. Draining wetlands for harm massasaugas. The Service conserve natural systems that farms, roads, homes, and urban is working with willing land support many species of plants expansion has eliminated much managers to practice techniques and animals. of the massasauga habitat. Also, that allow traditional management massasaugas are not long distance goals to continue but avoid travelers, so roads, towns, and harming the massasauga and its farm fields prevent them from habitat. moving between the wetland and upland habitats they need. These Education: Although many same barriers also separate and people have an innate fear of isolate remaining populations massasaugas, it is actually a from each other. Small, isolated secretive, docile snake that populations often continue on strikes humans only when it a downward spiral until the feels threatened and cornered. massasauga is lost from those Living, working, or recreating in U.S. Fish & Wildlife Service areas. massasauga areas does require 5600 American Blvd., Suite 990 Bloomington, Minnesota 55437 caution, but the massasauga is Management: Lack of management 612/713-5350 also an important and beautiful http://www.fws.gov/midwest/endangered and improper timing of part of the natural heritage management are threats to of those areas. We hope that September 2016