One of the four Eastern massasauga rattlesnakes located on the property of a private landowner in Alcona County, Michigan. - FWS photo by Heather Rawlings

The Eastern Massasauga rattlesnake is a rare species in Michigan, and is currently a candidate for listing on the Federal Endangered Species list. 

On May 11, during a site visit on a private landowner’s property in Alcona County, MDNR Landowner Incentive Program (LIP) Biologist Brian Piccalo and Service Biologist Heather Rawlings encountered four of these intriguing reptiles. 

Although massasaugas had been located on this property in the past, this was the first time Rawlings had seen the rattlesnake, and was the first time for Piccalo to see so many in one location.  The snake’s had apparently just emerged from their hibernaculum, and were located on a south-facing slope on transitional habitat between a coniferous swamp and a jack pine baron. 

This site visit was initiated by Piccalo and the landowner to determine if there were any habitat restoration projects on the property in which the LIP and the Partners for Fish and Wildlife Programs could collaborate.  The best potential site was a private road crossing that is both a sediment loading and fish passage problem. 

Currently the three culverts that are in place at the road crossing are compromising the integrity of a brook trout stream that is a tributary of the Thunder Bay River.