The Massasauga is named for the Missisauga River in Canada. It is one of the lesser-known rattlesnakes and an endangered member of the pit viper family which includes all Illinois venomous snakes. The rattle is made of keratin like human fingernails. A new segment is added each time the snake sheds. Counting the segments to determine the age of the snake will not give an accurate age as many believe. This is because the number of times a snake sheds each year varies and because the end segments of the rattle can be lost.
When attacking its prey, Massasaugas use a method called "strike and release" to inject its venom. The snake then uses it's heat-sensing loreal pits and its tongue and Jacobsen's organ to follow its dying prey. The Massasauga's favorite prey is small mammals and ground-nesting birds, but it will also eat frogs and other snakes.
Female Massasaugas only reproduce every other year. Their low reproductive rate means that the destruction of even one snake can be an unrecoverable loss for a population. Juveniles are born with venom as potent as that of the adults, but their smaller venom glands make them less venomous by quantity.
Massasaugas once occured in 26 Illinois counties, but appears to survive today in only 8 counties. Because of their increasing rarity and low reproductive rates, they were placed on the Illinois Endangered Species List in 1994. Heavy penalties are imposed for killing, collecting, or possessing Massasaugas or any part thereof anywhere in Illinois without a permit.
