MASSASAUGAS BY SIGHT

• The massasauga’s most distinguishing feature is the rattle at the end of its blunt tail. The rattle sets this species apart from all other snakes in Ontario (although on some individuals it goes missing due to wear or confrontations with predators). When the snake vibrates its tail, interconnected segments of the rattle produce an insect-like buzz;
• The massasauga is the only snake in Ontario that has vertical (cat-like) eye pupils;
• A heat sensitive pit on each side of the head, between the nostril and eye, allows the massasauga to detect small changes in temperature, and to find warm-blooded prey such as mice and voles;
• The massasauga’s scales are keeled, which means that the scales have a raised ridge along their mid-line, giving the snake a rough, textured appearance.

WHAT TO LOOK FOR:

• Length: 47-76 cm;
• Colour: brownish grey to dark grey background with dark saddle-shaped blotches along the body;
• Underbelly colour: black with light markings;
• Head: diamond shaped with white stripes along jaw;
• Eyes: large with vertical pupils;
• Scales: keeled, anal scale single;
• Tail: stubby with brown, segmented rattle;
• Reproduction: give birth to 6-20 live young;
• Young: lighter in body colour with cream-coloured button on the tip of the tail;
• Habitat: wet prairies, bogs, swamps, rocky areas and
  dry woodlands;
• Status: threatened in Ontario;
• General Info: rattlesnakes will not always rattle. Often they will sit motionless, avoiding detection, until the predator or human leaves.

Last Page  |  Next Page  |  Top  |  Table of Contents