Massasaugas from over the years...

The Eastern Massasauga Rattlesnake is Michigan's only species of venomous snake, and the Wolverine state is considered to be the stronghold for the species which is declining throughout its recognized range. In fact, its a is a candidate species for federal protection by the U.S. Fish & Wildlife Service and could be listed within the next few years. Ever since I got into herping a few years back, I've managed to compile quite a few field encounters with this species and have also kept a large photo collection of those encounters. So here's a big collection of photos of Massasaugas I've encountered over the years...