From April until the frosts of fall, snakes are out and about—an active part of our Michigan outdoors world. As cold weather moves in, these ectothermic creatures will do what snakes do—seek a snug place to snooze through cold times until spring. Many people just don’t like snakes—fearing them when they needn’t; yet some lingering [...]

From April until the frosts of fall, snakes are out and about—an active part of our Michigan outdoors world. As cold weather moves in, these ectothermic creatures will do what snakes do—seek a snug place to snooze through cold times until spring.

Many people just don’t like snakes—fearing them when they needn’t; yet some lingering tribal fear of snakes finds a majority of humans at least nervous at the sudden presence of one.

Perhaps it’s a hangover from the biblical tale of the serpent in the Garden of Eden who conned old Adam and Eve into taking a bite of forbidden fruit. Or maybe it’s the collective wisdom of the wide world that some snakes are downright nasty to people.

Serious trouble with a snake in Michigan is slim at best. Compared to other parts of the world, our state has just 18 snake species. Only the massasauga rattlesnake is venomous; it doesn’t even exist in the Upper Peninsula; Your chances of encountering one are long shots.

Unlike nearby states, Michigan has a stable population of massasaugas, protected here by a aovernor’s order calling it a “species of special concern.”

At a June workshop, some outdoor writers got a closeup look at this small rattlesnake as MSU reptile researcher Rebecca Christoffel presented a program on Michigan’s massasauga rattlesnake, “Myths and Realities.”

“Michigan has many reservoir populations of the species and they are being located, monitored, and studied closely,” Christoffel said.

Christoffel fits rattlers with radio transmitters so their movements can be tracked. Mapping these known ”reservoirs” of the species aids biologists in assuring this species does not fall into a threatened or endangered status.

The snakes depend on wetlands for food and shelter and nearby grassy uplands for hunting their prime foods, small mammals such as mice, voles, and other vermin.

“Many snakes are needlessly killed because they are thought to be a threat. And not just massasaugas, either. Most people are not able to identify snakes and kill many harmless and beneficial snakes thinking they are rattlesnakes. But all snakes are of high value in helping to keep down populations of mice, rats, and other vermin.”

Christoffel brought several common Michigan snakes with her, handling them and allowing the writers to touch them and get close looks at several that are often mistaken by the public as “a rattler.”

“One reason these other snakes are mistaken for rattlesnakes is that when frightened they will nervously shake their tails. In dry leaves or brush it will sound like a rattle. Only the massasauga has a real set of rattles in its tail, but the sound of any nervous snake tail in dry leaves and grass can make people think they are hearing a rattler.”

Then she used a snake hook to place a live massasauga on the floor of the meeting room. The snake showed little displeasure at being handled, just moving a little now and then on the carpeted floor. “They are docile when they don’t feel threatened.”

Massasaugas are small snakes averaging 18 to 39 inches, with 24 the average for an adult. They have a thick body, a head that is heart shaped with elliptical pupils, and a pit located between the eye and the nostril (hence the name ‘pit viper’). This pit is an infrared heat detector, which, with their eyesight and sense of smell, makes them very effective hunters.

One question: Are there any reported deaths from massasauga bites in Michigan? The answer? None in the record. “There may have been, but not reported at some time in the past, but the public record does not support any proven deaths from a massasauga bite,” Christoffel said.

In fact, people bitten often do not actually get injected with venom. Venom is saved for prey and otherwise only injected if the snake is highly alarmed. Even then, bites in people may be of low toxicity. “Their fangs are short, so most ankle high leather work boots will give you protection from an accidental encounter.”

Michigan is rich in large undeveloped habitat areas on state and federal land, natural areas and preserves, which helps avoid losing a major part of the snake’s habitat.

Researchers like Christoffel continue exploring and mapping these probable reservoirs of the massasauga. “Knowing where they are will help us preserve their habitat in the future,” she said.