Massasauga Rattlesnake Research

Massasauga Rattlesnake Research - 1996

NARRATOR: Squaw Creek National Wildlife Refuge in Northwestern Missouri, is an area noted for its scenic beauty and abundant wildlife. But there is one species at Squaw Creek not everyone wants to get close to, the massasauga rattlesnake. Tom Johnson and Melissa Pilgrim are herpetologists, specialists in the study of reptiles and amphibians. To them, tracking rattlesnakes is a labor of love.
TOM JOHNSON: When I was growing up, when I was a small child, definitely I wanted to be a herpetologist. Little did I know that a job like this would not only be available, but I would be the lucky person to get this job.
MELISSA PILGRIM: It is really fun, they are cool critters, you never know from one day to the next what youre going to find, its hard to believe its a job. Its fascinating.
Alright as you listen this way youll hear that we dont get a signal pointing in that direction, as I move the antenna to my left we start getting a stronger and stronger signal. That keys us in that hes in this area, somewhere in the grass, and so, this signal will get stronger and stronger as we get closer and closer. And so well actually head into the grass at this point.
NARRATOR: Radio tracking is a common tool in wildlife research, in addition to helping to locate the animal it can provide basic data on distribution and range. But radio tracking snakes is something new. Its done using a tiny transmitter surgically implanted into the snakes abdomen, and in the case of a venomous snake like the massasauga, its done with a lot of care.
Melissa: If you notice our signals getting stronger now it might make you think that were right on top of the snake, but what you can do is lower the antenna and as you go towards the ground, it gets softer, as you lift up it gets louder, as long as its still doing that it tells you you still have a little distance to go yet. You never know what youre going to find, sometimes youll find it up in things, sometimes you find it down by the ground sometimes its on the move, you never know what to expect, and you never know how many youre going to find with it, so there is nothing predictable about the snakes with the transmitters will do. Once again, no signal this way, weve got him right in here, now the tricky part is, he can be up, you notice the vegetation laying down here, so the first step is to make sure hes not up in it, and then head down, make sure youre still getting a strong signal down. If you look, can you see him right there.
Tom Johnson: oh my, thats a tiny coil
Melissa: Thats him. If youll hold the antenna, I will go ahead and flag this spot.
NARRATOR: We have the technology to track and find these snakes, but many might ask, Why would you want to?
TOM JOHNSON: The Missouri species of venomous snakes are important because they are very primary predators. Most of our venomous species eat mice. They are an outstanding type of predator in keeping the rodent population in check. And because of that they do have an important role. The population of massasaugas throughout the eastern half of the United States including northern Missouri have declined drastically because of habitat loss. And so its our job to make sure they are not going to disappear.
NARRATOR: Ron Bell, area manager for the Squaw Creek refuge, is also concerned about the fate of these misunderstood creatures.
Melissa: Hi Ron
Ron: Hey there!
Melissa: We tracked a guy hes way out there in the Reed Canary Grass today, but were about to search the levee if youd like to join us.
Ron: Id love too!
Melissa: Ive got a massasauga right here, and its in the basking posture, and Im going to go ahead and grab it, OK this is a gravid female, Tom, if youll open my bucket up please. Alright, what were going to do now this is a recapture so I dont have to bring her back into the lab, Ive already got her marked and all Im going to do is check her tag and that way weve got a new location for her. The beep, thats it reading the tag, and now we have a nine digit number 00677015 that I match up, I have listed on my bucket all the snakes Ive tagged before, and so right down at massasauga number three, it matches her pit tag.
Melissa: What will do now is well let her go exactly where we found her this morning so well just come back to the flag, and she is home and happy about it.
NARRATOR: The massasagua rattlesnake, not the most popular creature to be for in the wet prairies of Squaw Creek, but an important part of this unique ecosystem.

Category:

Pets & Animals

Tags:

• Massasauga
• Rattlesnake
• Research
• missouri
• conservation
• outdoors
• nature
• reptile
• snake

[dragonamt]

Love these guys, have quite a number of them in Michigan, used to be one by a pond near my house when I was growing up.

[Sundaywave]

@jaykparikh37 herpetologist that is

[TheHerpetologyBoy]

I want to be a Herpetologist so bad Tom R. Johnson is my idol :D I read his books

[jaykparikh37]

@seunghun3 herptologist that is

[seunghun3]

awsome, i wanna be a hepitoligist

[reptilewranglers]

Great research!