POST-STANDARD (Syracuse, New York) 11 January 08 CNY Isn't Shedding Snake Population - Endangered eastern massasauga rattlesnake doing well (Meghan Rubado)
Central New York's rattlesnake population seems to be doing OK, new research shows.
Wait. What? Rattlesnakes in Central New York?
That's right. A small portion of Cicero Swamp is home to 100 to 200 rare rattlers. It's the easternmost population of the eastern massasauga (pronounced MASS-uh-SAH-guh) rattlesnake, which is endangered in New York state.
Scientists from the State University College of Environmental Science and Forestry have been studying the snake - one of three venomous snakes that reside in the wilds of New York state.
Researchers found that the population in Cicero Swamp seems to be stable, but vegetation management probably will be needed to maintain the population over time.
"A lot of people don't even realize we have rattlesnakes here," said SUNY ESF doctoral student Kevin Shoemaker. Shoemaker recently completed his master's degree by studying the massasaugas with guidance from Dr. James Gibbs, a professor of conservation biology and wildlife management at SUNY ESF.
New York's other venomous snakes, the copperhead and the timber rattlesnake do not live in Central New York. The massasauga, however, used to populate a larger portion of the state before development reduced its habitat.
"Syracuse is very fortunate to host one of the very last populations of this fascinating creature in the region," Gibbs wrote in an e-mail while conducting research in the Galapagos Islands.
Some might not recognize the value of the rattlesnake, Gibbs wrote, but the gentle and fragile species helps control rodent populations.
Just two small areas in New York are still known to have massasaugas. There's the portion of the Cicero Swamp, plus one more in the Bergen Swamp near Rochester. The snake is listed as endangered in every state in which it resides, except Michigan - the species' stronghold.
The rattler also is a candidate for federal protection because of its declining numbers and territory.
Shoemaker completed research to find out if the growth of vegetation in the swamp was limiting the Cicero population. The female snakes need to bask in the sun to incubate their young, which are born live. The growth of shrubs in the swamp is probably limiting the population's growth, Shoemaker found.
Some combination of cutting, herbicide use and burning could be used to maintain the rattlesnakes' habitat. Scientists will be looking into experimenting with habitat management there.
In the meantime, the rattlesnakes seem to be doing well.
"They're still around and will be, at least for a little while longer," Shoemaker said.
CNY Isn't Shedding Snake Population

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