All are now at other zoos. Eric Hileman, who recently earned his doctorate degree from Northern Illinois University for his work on eastern massasaugas and is now a quantitative biologist at Trent University in Ontario, said roughly 70 percent of adult massasaugas survive annually, but only 38 percent of newborns neonates survive their first year. Unlike many other rattlesnakes, massasaugas hibernate alone, often using crayfish burrows for hibernacula.
Hileman said massasaugas have been known to live up to 20 years in captivity, which is up to 30 percent longer than they live in the wild. For more information on the threatened status of the massasauga or for frequently asked questions about the listing, please visit the US Fish and Wildlife Service massasauga information page at www. Check out previous Showcasing the DNR stories and subscribe to upcoming articles at www.
Note to editors: Contact: John Pepin , Accompanying photos are available below for download and media use. Suggested captions follow. Credit: Michigan Department of Natural Resources, unless otherwise noted. Habitat-1 and Habitat-2 : Massasauga rattlesnakes are found in wetland areas in Michigan.
It is protected as a federally threatened species under the Endangered Species Act. Stick : Tom Goniea, a fisheries biologist and herptile expert with the Michigan Department of Natural Resources, holds a massasauga rattlesnake with a snake stick. Browsers that can not handle javascript will not be able to access some features of this site. Some functions of this site are disabled for browsers blocking jQuery. Close Search Box. Michigan Department of Natural Resources wants you to enjoy the outdoors in the Great Lakes State and reminds you that you are often not alone.
If you've spent any time walking, hiking, biking or running in the woods you've seen squirrels, chipmunks, rabbits and maybe even deer cross the trail in front of you. You may have glimpsed the tail of a fox or heard the howl of a coyote or wolf late at night. Bear sightings have been trending further and further South the last few years and cougars don't seem to be as rare in Michigan as they once were.
It's what you don't see that can be alarming. Description: A very slender black or brown snake with three bright yellow or white stripes down the back. The head is black, though the scales above and below the mouth are white. The belly is white or light yellow. Adult length: 18 to 38 inches. Range and Status: The snake can be found throughout the Lower Peninsula, and is locally common where suitable wetland habitat exists.
This snake is extremely rare in Michigan. Its population is so low that it is listed as an "endangered" species in Michigan. It has also recently been listed by the U.
Fish and Wildlife Service as a nationally "threatened" species. Habitat for the copper-bellied water snake has declined dramatically. Wetlands drainage and development in preferred habitat has limited distribution to only a few small populations. It has been found only in the southern third of the Lower Peninsula. Indiscriminate killing of snakes has also been a problem in local areas. Description: A thick-bodied, slow-moving snake with a flattened, upturned "nose.
Easily identified by defensive behavior see below. Adult length: 20 to 40 inches. Their numbers have declined in many places, in part due to persecution by humans who mistakenly believe they are dangerous. Michigan's only venomous snake is a rare sight for most state residents.
Historically, they could be found in a variety of wetlands and nearby upland woods throughout the lower peninsula. During the late spring, these snakes move from their winter hibernation sites, such as crayfish chimneys and other small mammal burrows in swamps and marshlands, to hunt on the drier upland sites - likely in search of mice and voles, their favorite food.
Massasaugas are found throughout the Lower Peninsula, but not in the Upper Peninsula thus there are no venomous snakes on the Upper Peninsula mainland.
They are becoming rare in many parts of their former range, throughout the Great Lakes area, due to wetland habitat loss and persecution by humans. Description: This is a slender, smooth scaled snake with reddish or brown blotches on a gray or tan background color. There is usually a light "Y" or "V" shaped marking just behind the head.
The belly is white with a black checkerboard pattern. Description: A large yellowish or light brown snake with dark brown or black blotches down the back and sides. The head may be reddish or orange, and the belly is yellowish, checkered with black.
Two species of the fox snake occur in Michigan Western and Eastern but their ranges do not overlap. Adult length: 3 to 5 feet. Range and Status: The western fox snake is found in the Upper Peninsula, where it is often called a "pine snake. Their numbers have been reduced by habitat destruction and, locally, by pet trade exploitation.
Description: A small reddish brown snake with four rows of black often indistinct blotches down its back, and a black head. The belly is pink or red with a row of black dots along each side. Adult length: 12 to 18 inches. Range and Status: The few recent records for this species have been in the southern Lower Peninsula. Description: A water snake with dark bands or blotches on a light brown or gray background color. Some old adults may appear solid black or brown.
The belly is white with reddish half moon shaped markings; some specimens have an orange belly speckled with brown or black. The endangered Copper Bellied Water Snake has an unmarked reddish or orange belly. Needless persecution by humans has eliminated water snakes from many places where they were once common.
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