recent hike:snakes and turtles

[FishMichv2]

as a reptile and amphibian enthusiast, i decided to go for a hike to see what i might find on our recent abnormally warm day. heres a couple shots of what i found.
Northern Watersnake Nerodia sipedon
Common Snapping Turtle Chelydra serpentina
and my most favorite michigan inhabitant
Eastern Massasauga Rattlesnake Sistrurus catenatus catenatus
the massasauga is very rare and is becoming increasingly difficult to find. i urge everyone, even you snake haters to please let them have their space. do not kill these animals, not only is it illegal, but they are beneficial and pose no threat to humans if left alone. if you see one, consider yourself lucky and let it be on its way, you more than likely will never cross paths again. thanks for lookin. ~bill

[Radar420]

Nice pics! I've yet to find a wild massasauga

Snakes and turtles seemed to be out in full force up north this weekend. Didn't get any pics but I saw 2 garter snakes (maybe getting ready for mating season as they were together and one was double the size of the other), a painted turtle that I helped cross the road, and I'm assuming a Blanding's turtle though I was driving 55 so that was a little difficult to distinguish. The spring peepers were also out in full force.

What was the size on the snapper?

[FishMichv2]

the snapper wasnt a huge one but it was pretty decent size, probably 14-15 inches from the from of the shell to the back. as far as the garters go, mating or courtship is likely what you saw, the larger one was probably the female. hopefully the blandings you saw made it across the road. like the massasauga, they are also a species of special concern here in michigan and their populations are continuing to decline. been about 2 years since ive seen one.

[tpl_2]

Those are some great pictures. Where about were you hiking (city or town)? The massasauga has a pretty limited range within the state doesn't it? I know there are a few around in my area i.e. Howell.

Thanks for sharing.

[Brown duck]

Very cool - have never seen a massassagua. Saw my first eastern diamondback of the season last week, though not in MI, that would be scary!

[Ranger Ray]

Great pictures! Thanks for sharing.

[harpo1]

Rumor has it that a few Massasauga's have been spotted frequently on a golf course in Clare County. Good chance I will be at that course this weekend so I'll be armed with a camera for sure.

[Steve]

Massassagua's are easy to find this time of year during the first few warm sunny days of the year in some of SE Michigan's parks.

[Banditto]

I find a lot of them in southern MI more than mid or upper. I found a fresh brood not that long ago where there were dozens in a small area.

Oh and the other thing to warn you about is I read the baby snakes (while very cute) are actually more dangerous than the adults. The poison is more concentrated sometimes many more times.

[FishMichv2]

Originally Posted by Banditto

I find a lot of them in southern MI more than mid or upper. I found a fresh brood not that long ago where there were dozens in a small area.

Oh and the other thing to warn you about is I read the baby snakes (while very cute) are actually more dangerous than the adults. The poison is more concentrated sometimes many more times.

thats one of those myths that are very common regarding venomous snakes. i assure you that i would rather take a bite from a baby than an adult. you are less likely to recieve a dry bite from a juvenile than an adult but the amount of venom would be significantly less than that of a larger snake. the venom is made up of a variety of toxins that will not change as they age.
its cool that you found a bunch of young ones like that, i spend a lot of time looking for this species and ive never seen that.

[Banditto]

Good to know about the baby/adult thing. Makes sense.

[Boardman Brookies]

Awesome pics of the Massasauga! I have only seen one once before.

[Swamp Monster]

Great pics! Would love to see a rattler!

[Lunker]

awesome shots...im still looking for my first pygmy rattler too