Sistrurus catenatus

The Eastern Massasauga Rattlesnake

Sistrurus catenatus catenatus

            Welcome to my Site!  Here you can find out lots of things about the massasauga rattlesnake, or in scientific terms, Sistrurus catenatus catenatus.  The massasauga rattlesnakeThe Ventral Side (Belly) of the Massasauga Rattlesnake is a light brown or sometimes gray snake that can be about 2 to 3 feet long and, being a rattlesnake, has a scaly rattle on the end of its tail.  Its head is in a rounded, triangular shape and has four brown stripes going down towards the tail on it. At the base of the head, the stripes give way to brown patches that run down length of the body.  Towards the end of the tail, the patches turn into dark rings.   There are usually 5 to 7 rings on an individual. On its sides, the Massasauga has smaller brown patches that go down the length of the body and fade into the black belly.  Massasaugas also have elliptical pupils, like a cat.

A WORD OF CAUTION

            These reptiles are also poisonous!  Even though no one in Wisconsin has died of a Massasauga bite in over 100 years, these animals are dangerous.  However, Massasaugas only attack in self-defense!  If you leave them alone, they will leave you alone.

           A massasauga rattlesnake. So that is just general overview of the massasauga rattlesnake's morphology.  Explore the rest of my site to find out more! Or if this wonderful reptile isn’t what you’re looking for, here is a link to MultipleOrgansims.net, a place to find tons of information about many other life forms!  To learn about the classification of the massasauga click here!