A rural Niles resident has captured an unusual but once common native to Michigan wetlands.
Marjorie Bowles, of 925 Anderson Rd., found an Eastern massasauga rattlesnake Wednesday in a side yard during an excavation project. A worker helped Bowles move the snake — just a baby at shorter than a foot long — into a large plastic tub with water in it. She then contacted the Michigan Department of Natural Resources.
“It’s not dangerous, (but) you don’t want to play with it,” Bowles said.
Bowles, who lives with her husband John near a swampy area by Pine Lake, off M-60, said she has only seen garter snakes on her property, and had to research what kind of snake it was.
“This is a new one by me,” she said.
Bowles said she was concerned someone would kill the snake, and wants the public aware of the species and its declining population. She said she hopes to release the snake back into its habitat, but was awaiting a call back from the DNR at press time.
According to the DNR, massasaugas are classified as “of special concern,” are protected by the State of Michigan and are a candidate for federal listing. They live in the entire Lower Peninsula, and were once common but their populations are declining due to the loss of wetland habitat and human harassment.
Massasaugas are slow-moving, but may bite if threatened, and can grow to 18 to 30 inches long. They have thick bodies with gray, grayish-brown or brown coloring. The young snakes have yellow buttons, or “rattles,” at the tip of their tails. The adult rattles are grayish yellow and resemble corn kernels.
If bitten by a massasauga, the DNR advises seeking medical attention immediately. The snakes are venomous, but possess the least toxic venom of any rattlesnake in the U.S.
If a massasauga is spotted, the DNR recommends not picking it up, using caution and submitting the sighting to www.dnr.state.mi.us/wildlife/pubs/massasauga_obsreport.asp.