BATTLE CREEK ENQUIRER (Michigan) 21 September 13 Yes, there are rattlesnakes in Michigan (Tom Funke)
You wouldn’t think rattlesnakes wouldn’t be all that active in the month of September. Technically, they are active as soon as the ground thaws; we just don’t see them all that often in spring and summer. Right now, a couple of factors are working in our favor to see our only venomous snake.
First, the females travel out of the marsh and give live birth in the uplands, usually in fencerows near marshes. The Massasuaga female is only one of a few snakes that cares for its young, although, I’ll admit that is loosely defined. It is more like they hang around a few days after giving birth. Second, farmers are cutting their last hay crop of the year, along with other harvesting, which stirs up the massasauga as they hang out in these upland areas that border agricultural fields.
Massasauga (means “great river mouth’’ in the Chippewa language) is the smallest and has one of the most potent venom of snakes living in the United States. However, they inject so little venom that it rarely kills anything larger than a frog. Curious dogs and young men with too much bravado are far more likely to be bitten than a casual hiker.
Symptoms of envenomation include pain, swelling, and discoloration (due to rupturing of blood vessels) at the bite site, as well as nausea, sweating, fainting. Scientists speculate that Massasaugas actually inject venom about 25-percnet to 50-percent of the time, since venom is expensive for rattlesnakes to produce. However, all bites should always receive prompt medical treatment.
The Massasauga’s first line of defense is to avoid being seen, and its color pattern offers excellent camouflage as it skulks in a marsh. Most will freeze when approached and frequently remain undetected by people passing, even close by. Should a potential threat come too close or even touch a Massasauga, it may try to flee into thick vegetation or choose to stand its ground.
Michigan averages 1.5 human rattlesnake bites a year. As I always say, the best way to protect yourself from being bit and dying from a rattlesnake, is to wearing your seatbelt. You’re more likely to die in a car crash.
I live on the edge of a marsh thick with Massasaugas. The MDNR and Michigan Natural Features Inventory will train their staff how to find and identify rattlesnakes behind our house. My, what a great feeling that is. We’ve only seen two rattlers in 11 years, one in the marsh while exploring and one while mowing the yard. We have a rule, you must wear shoes outdoors if you come for a visit.
Massasaugas live in wetlands, usually marshes and fens, with stable water levels. They are thought to hibernate just above the groundwater level. Therefore, any fluctuation could drown or cause them to freeze. Barry County could be their last stronghold in Michigan if not the Midwest.
Link