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• Bruce Peninsula National Park of Canada;
   
• Fathom Five National Marine Park of Canada;
   
• Cabot Head Provincial Nature Reserve;
   
• Petrel Point Nature Reserve and Dyer’s Bay Road Alvar Nature Reserve.

As well, thousands of private landowners help protect important areas
for the snakes.

THREATS

The Bruce Peninsula is a relatively narrow section of land with bisecting roads.

An ever-increasing demand for homes and cottages has contributed greatly to habitat destruction and fragmentation.

Populations of rare plants and animals have some habitat protection in
parks and nature reserves. However, some species also need to move
across landscapes, on both public and private lands. Plants and animals do not live within human-set boundaries.

Human persecution of snakes has furthered the decline of the massasauga and other snake species in Ontario. This behaviour promotes a continued misunderstanding of this species, perpetuating an erroneously negative image of snakes in the eyes of the general community and younger generations.

The collection of snakes for the pet trade, although illegal and potentially dangerous, also occurs.

Road mortalities are a common cause of death for massasaugas.