Some of the most frequent questions I'm asked, in regard to Illinois herpetology, relate to the eastern massasauga rattlesnake (Sistrurus catenatus). Where are they found? And how are they doing?
Where are they found? The massasauga has been almost completely wiped out of the state, and today is known from a handful of tiny fragments of habitat in one county. Is it possible they still exist elsewhere? Yes. Illinois is a large state with lots of tiny patches of wet prairie or meadows. Some of the more recently known populations (that haven't been sighted in years) occurred in short stretches of roadside ditches in the central part of the state. Certainly there are other ditches like that elsewhere. But without thoughtful management, those ditches go bad quickly. They fill in with invasive brush, or they are mowed too frequently or too short (or both). Patches of wet prairie left to remain uncultivated on private property may harbor massasaugas, but since the little rattlers are federally protected, most landowners wouldn't speak a word about snakes they may have seen for fear of what they may consider government overreach. So, at this moment in time, we only know of the precious few that garner attention from both hopeful conservationists and bitter developers.
How are they doing? Well, they are not doing well in Illinois, which may be good news or bad news depending on who's asking. However, they may not be doing as bad as we thought in previous years. Recent studies suggest that the remaining animals may not suffer from ill effects a lack of genetic diversity often causes. Some herpetologists feared that may might be a serious issue. Snake fungal disease, while prevalent among these remaining animals, appears to present itself mildly (so far). While good news, it doesn't change the fact that the metapopulation is highly fragmented and the sites are small; the remaining animals are vulnerable to environmental stochasticity and catastrophic events, either manmade or natural.
The biologists working with wild massasaugas in Illinois are keenly aware of the snake's susceptibility and work hard to manage the remaining habitat in order to give the animals their best chance at long, productive lives. Areas chock-full of invasive autumn olive and honeysuckle have been cleared, offering a chance for the snakes to migrate and spread out a bit. And each year, enough new young animals are found to indicate that recruitment is occurring at good rates.
Among the "regulars" that have been studying Illinois' massasaugas for varying lengths of time is Joey Cannizarro, a Chicago-area native with a name very similar to mine though he is way more handsome. Joey wrapped up his Master's on grey treefrogs and is in the early stages of pursuing his PhD. I first met him a few years ago while in Graham's crayfish snake habitat near me - he was accompanied by Nathan Kutok. We have kept in touch but not participated in any real field-related herp activities, so his invite was enthusiastically accepted.
It was great to hit the field once again in search of massasaugas. On this fair day in late April, we found six massasaugas and a small variety of other herps.
To some, simply a ditch. To Joey Cannizarro (in background), a massasauga goldmine. Note crayfish burrow in foreground.
One of roughly half a dozen eastern box turtles (Terrapene carolina) seen.
Fowler's toads (Anaxyrus fowleri) are always common around the bunkhouses.
Prairie kingsnake (Lampropeltis calligaster)
One of several racers (Coluber constrictor)
If you're lucky, you'll see this much massasauga exposed
Another, from right on top
It takes a trained eye to spot these (I could use more work)
.jpg)
A massasauga prior to gentle processing
