Eastern massasauga rattlesnake

[erinmorgan11111a]

Awesome :) I went on a trip to Brent in the summer, just sun bathing on the side of the road. The sure are beautiful creatures these guys. Nice video :)

[BartBVanBockstaele]

@erinmorgan11111a Thanks. I also think that they are beautiful snakes. I live in Toronto, and unfortunately, I have never seen one in nature, only at the zoo...

[Danno0618]

im goin on a camp trip and we r goin to the massasauga river, and there will probably be rattlers there...

[BartBVanBockstaele]

@Danno0618 Quite possible. I hope you can see a few. They are beautiful and fascinating animals.

[Danno0618]

@BartBVanBockstaele but i dont wanna be bit by one :P

[BartBVanBockstaele]

@Danno0618 That I can believe! Just leave them alone, watch them calmly from a metre or two away. You'll be fine. Massasaugas do not seek out people to attack them.

[Danno0618]

@BartBVanBockstaele got back from the trip and didnt see any rattlers

[StormCloneMan24]

@BartBVanBockstaele i have a question i was taking my new puppy for a walk and he saw a snake in the water how should i avoid getting bit or for my dog too. is it possible itll be afraid of the dog?

[BartBVanBockstaele]

@StormCloneMan24 Chances are that it will indeed be afraid of the dog. A dog is a lot larger than a massasauga can swallow. Biting an animal that size would be a waste of precious -and energetically expensive- venom. The rattler's natural instinct would be to try to avoid that. Also, if you see one, just don't approach it. If it has noticed you, it will either stay very quiet, or slowly slither away; these snakes move very slowly.

[Casper7412]

I almost got bit by one of those putting my boat in up north, scariest thing ever.

[BartBVanBockstaele]

@Casper7412 It is certainly better to avoid being bitten by them, but they actually rarely bite. One reason for this is that it takes a lot of energy to produce their venom, so they only risk using it when they hunt for food, or when they are really scared, and in the latter case, they even try not to inject their venom. Also, while a bite is certainly less than enjoyable, and should be avoided, it is very nearly never deadly.

[ipodrats]

not so endangered at my place i found in my garage in the past 3 days there is like 3 or 5 at the creek to



[BartBVanBockstaele]

@ipodrats They *are* endangered. The fact that they may be (and are) locally abundant doesn't change that. One of the reasons that they are endangered is habitat fragmentation. Because of that, there is a lot of inbreeding and little variation, leading to unhealthy populations.

Another reason, of course, is that people tend to have an irrational fear/hatred for snakes and kill them all the time.

[TxtACRowetxT]

I killed one on the weekend :(

I was going for a Hike and it lashed out at my boot and as a reflex I stomped on it's head :(

If I knew it was endangered I would have simply ran, I feel bad now.

[BartBVanBockstaele]

@TxtACRowetxT Too bad, indeed. They are a docile species. They hardly attack anyone, they prefer to keep quiet, or slither away (and they are not fast either).

[PickedUpAndThrown]

OH MY GOD!

I WANT TO TOUCH AN EASTERN MASSASAUGA RATTLESNAKE!

I EVEN WANY ONE AS A PET!!!!

[kaizerzydeco]

I nearly stepped on one of these as a small child in a swamp near Point Abino, Ontario. I ran all the way home thinking it would chase me.

[BartBVanBockstaele]

@kaizerzydeco It nicely shows how we, even as small children, are taught that snakes are bad news and what a profound impact this can have.

[williamkotz]

What are the other areas. I thought is was only the bruce that had E massasauga.

[BartBVanBockstaele]

@williamkotz Bruce Peninsula, eastern shores of Georgian Bay, Wainfleet Bog near Port Colborne and La Salle/Windsor.

[mastadonboner69]

@BartBVanBockstaele I've seen them near Port Stanton, Sparrow Lake area. One night I was taking a leak in the bushes and I heard what I thought was a june bug...asked a friend to pass me a flashlight and soon found out the sound wasn't a june bug but a rattle! There he was all coiled up covered in pee staring up at me and still didn't bite me. Very timid creatures. Shame they get such a bad rap.

[BartBVanBockstaele]

@mastadonboner69 I agree. These are very timid creatures asking nothing better than be left alone, doing their own thing.

[williamkotz]

The Bruce Peninsula has a lot of these.

[BartBVanBockstaele]

It does indeed. There are four areas in Ontario where they can still be found. They are a protected species.

[balto4]

Thanks for this video-I am a fan of snakes. i have seen this species before,and it did seem to not want to bother me,though i gave him his space. I try to educate people about snakes that they are good they eat mice ect I was surprised by how small these guys are,I thought the one I saw was a baby,when in fact it was not.nice pattern on this animal as well-overall nice looking species

[BartBVanBockstaele]

@balto4 They are indeed not big. I was also surprised how small these -and most other Ontario- snakes are. But then, I was surprised to find snakes here in the first place. They are lovely animals, hated and persecuted for no other reason than human ignorance. So sad.

[balto4]

@BartBVanBockstaele Snakes,like every other wild animal are just trying to survive in the face of man and his cruelties. People should realize snakes are beneficial as they eat lots of rodents

[MrCoryjohnson1]

i've actually held one of these while i was fishing, used the bottom part of my fishing rod to hold down near it's head. it took me about 10 minutes to convince one of the 2 guys with me to come and hold my rod so i could get right behind it's head. It showed me it's fangs once while i had it pined down and after i picked it up it curled the end of it's tail around my arm (for security and stability).

[MrCoryjohnson1]

it didn't rattle or anything, was very dosile except for showing me it's fangs once. I got my buddy to take a couple of pictures then i gently "tossed" it into the water at the spot i cought it and it slowly swam away.

This snake didn't want to hurt me or anyone else, just wanted to be left to live it's life in peace like we people want.

[MrCoryjohnson1]

i wish people could understand this instead of killing them for the sole reason that they're venomus. The snake was not harmed in any way. A very beautiful thing to see and be able to hold. i'll never forget it :)

[BartBVanBockstaele]

Thanks for that account! I'm happy that there are people like you. Massasauga rattlers are such beautiful and docile animals and it really hurts me that so many people want to kill these inoffensive creatures. They are part of the diversity of nature, and as Darwin has shown us, they are our family. There are just no defensible reasons to exterminate them.

[balto4]

@BartBVanBockstaele I don't get it either,I have always liked snakes,and my Dad taught me about nature and the balance of things when I was a little girl so I never had a fear of snakes. I have touched snakes before(mainly pythons). Snakes are good for us,and people don't need to be afraid of them. Education is the key to the survival of this species. It's too bad people go out of there way to kill snakes when it isn't necessary

[MissMattWebb]

i havent seen any rattlesnakes this year, it makes me angry taht they get run over on the road on purpose

[hellomotto112]

i seen one in my garage yesterday

[MissMattWebb]

and where in ontario are u from???