Page 20 - Gateways_Fall 2023 flipbuilder_Neat

THE SWAMP Continued

REPTILES

EASTERN MASSASAUGA

Sistrurus catenatus

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Fascinating Fact: Pit vipers are named for the pits between
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their eyes and nostrils that hold infrared heat-sensing organs.
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T h e o r g a n s a l e r t t h e m t o t h e l o c a t i o n o f w a r m - b l o o d e d
The organs alert them to the location of warm-blooded
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animals, even in the dark. By flicking their forked tongue
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i in and out they “smell” the air. .
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T h e sn a k e i s n a t i v e t o p a r t s o f N o r t h A m e r i c a a n d
The snake is native to parts of North America and
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lives in shallow wetlands and surrounding upland areas.
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A n a d u l t ’ s a v e r a g e l en g t h i s o n l y 2 t o 3 f e e t . W h en i t f e e l s
An adult’s average length is only 2 to 3 feet. When it feels
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threatened, it shakes a rattle on the end of its tail and
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can also deliver a venomous bite. However, humans rarely
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encounter these snakes in the wild.
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Its diet includes mice, smaller snakes, and other small
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a animals, which helps keep populations of these prey animals
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i in check. In turn, the snake provides food for other predators,
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including hawks, owls, cranes, and some mammals. .
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The Eastern massasauga was once found throughout

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the Midwest, including Illinois. In 2016, it was listed as
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“threatened” under the Endangered Species Act due to habitat
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loss and fragmentation. CZS participates in AZA’s Eastern
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Massasauga SSP.
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