Anyone can shudder seeing the recent picture on Facebook of the seemingly massive eastern massasauga rattlesnake being held up by Huron County Ohio Wildlife Officer Matthew D. Smith during last month’s annual snake survey.
As can be imagined, the Ohio Department of Natural Resources’ post attracted a lot of attention and responses, and many were stunned that a rattler was this far north in Ohio.
Department of Wildlife Diversity Coordinator Kristin Stanford wanted to impress upon alarmed Ohio residents “that they are very unlikely to encounter an eastern massasauga in the wild.”
She also pointed out the rattlers are in Huron County and in other selected sites in Ohio but not randomly throughout the state. Another “well-studied population of these snakes is at Killdeer Plains Wildlife Area,” she said.
Their exact locations are kept undisclosed. The eastern massasauga rattlesnake was designated as a threatened species by the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service in 2016.
In addition to the massasauga, other venomous snakes in Ohio include copperheads and eastern timber rattlesnakes, but they aren’t common, according to the ODNR.
Toledo’s metroparks are all clear of rattlesnakes as far as the parks system knows, said Scott Carpenter, its director of public relations.
“Although a park visitor contacted us last week when he thought he saw a massasauga,” he said. “He sent a photo that a naturalist on our staff identified as an eastern milk snake.”
For most of what I’ve read, the massasauga is a shy snake, and Stanford confirmed that it won’t be aggressive if you don’t provoke it.
“More often or not ... just your presence will cause the snake to leave on its own accord, and you are unlikely to encounter it again,” she said.
The situation reminded me of my own hairy snake situation a few years back. The encounter in the archery deer woods in West Virginia might serve as a lesson on what not to do.
I was following a blood trail of a doe that I shot along a ridge when, lo and behold, right in the path was rather large, curled-up brown patterned snake.
Not hearing any rattling, I was thinking he was just a garden variety big snake. I attempted to poke at him with my bow to get him to move along so I could continue on my search for my prize.
He moved all right.
He sprung at me, at which case my bow went sailing over my head and I rolled head-over-heels down the ridge a couple of times. After brushing myself off and recovering the bow — and my pride — I decided he was good where he was, and I WOULD move along with a mighty wide berth around him.
I later realized the snake was a copperhead, and mock striking is how they warn you, “Hey, you’re too close. Beat it.”
Eastern massasauga rattlesnakes and copperheads are like apples and oranges, but both can inflict dangerous bites.
In most cases, they just want to be left alone.
A recent May NPR article detailed research on what happens if you accidentally step on rattlesnakes. The writer cited Cale Morris, who has been studying rattlesnakes for decades and had rigged up a fake leg and boot and tested it out on some most likely unhappy contestants.
Of the 175 snakes he put the foot prop on, only six struck out and three coiled in a defensive position.
Still, it is always wise to watch where you step while in the wild outdoors.
“My recommendation has always been to observe any snake you encounter from a distance,” Stanford said.
THIS SATURDAY and Sunday, Michigan will have its “three free” weekend. Residents and non-residents can fish, ride off-road trails, visit parks, access boat ramps, and other outdoor locations without a charge. Visit michigan.gov/dnr/ for more information.
On June 15-16, Ohio residents have an opportunity to fish for free without a license. During the free fishing weekend, all size and daily limits apply. For more information, go to wildohio.gov .
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