Venomous snakes might not be on everyone’s list of animals to rescue from extinction. But the United States Fish and Wildlife Service is willing to try. The agency has recognized the danger to the threatened eastern Massasauga rattlesnake and has finalized a recovery plan. The plan is in cooperation with stakeholders in the snakes’ habitat which stretches from the American Midwest into Ontario, Canada The Massasauga is Ontario’s sole venomous snake.
According to Britannica the threatened eastern massasauga rattlesnake is small but potent. It is about 18 to 30 inches long. The snake is secretive and unaggressive. It may inflict a painful and rarely fatal bite.
Britannica says the threatened eastern massasauga, Sistrurus catenatus, eats frogs, lizards and rodents. The snakes bear live young. Although their venom is potent the snakes have short fangs, limiting the amount of venom they can inject.
So how does the wildlife agency make plans to save a threatened snake:
“Conserving threatened eastern massasaugas means conserving the wetlands and adjacent uplands where they live. In addition to providing wildlife habitat, wetlands benefit people by storing floodwaters and filtering sediments and other pollutants from water eventually used for drinking and recreation.
“Many partners have already made progress in conserving the eastern massasauga and its habitat. Before the species was listed, the Michigan Department of Natural Resources recognized the need to manage some of its lands to conserve the snake. We worked with the DNR on a candidate conservation agreement with assurances that made it easier for the DNR to manage its lands now that the snake is listed. Through the agreement, Michigan DNR has enrolled more than 2.7 million acres of land that will be managed to benefit the snake, covering a large area of the species’ range in Michigan.”
The federal agency works with state, local and tribal organizations in efforts to conserve targeted wildlife.”
Meanwhile, Florida has the opposite problem as Burmese pythons continue to plague the state.