Here is a behind the scenes look at a day in the field with herpetologist, Doug Wynn. Doug has been collecting data on Ohio's eastern massasauga rattlesnake for almost 25 years.
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Viewing Opportunities for Massasauga Rattlesnakes
Killdeer Plains, Mosquito Creek, and Spring
Valley wildlife areas and the Cedar Bog Natural
Area currently support massasauga rattlesnake
populations.
Massasauga rattlers are typically found rest-
ing under flat boards, metal, or other discarded
material. They often bask in the sunlight in
clearings and openings.
These snakes are quite timid and pose no
threat to people if they are left alone. Snakes
do not seek out people to bite; striking and
biting is a defensive measure on the part of the
snake. The risk of snake bite is highly overrated;
annually, more people die from bee stings or
lightning strikes than from snake bites.
Massasaugas are active and found most
commonly in April, May, and October; they are
less likely to be encountered during the months
of July, August, and September.
Ohio Venomous Snakes
http://ohiodnr.com/wildlife/Home/resources/reptiles/poisonoussnakes/tabid/5685/Default.aspx
Eastern Massasauga
http://ohiodnr.com/Home/species_a_to_z/SpeciesGuideIndex/easternmassasauga/tabid/6610/Default.aspx
Eastern Massasauga Life History Notes
http://ohiodnr.com/LinkClick.aspx?fileticket=KyXJdy4lsMI%3d&tabid=6610