This rattlesnake is commonly called a "pygmy," meaning it's smaller than most other rattlesnakes. The massasauga is still an effective predator; it has adapted by hunting exclusively at night when it's hard to see. The small snake waits in ambush and spots prey through scent and body heat. When the massasauga strikes, its powerful venom goes on a destructive rampage inside the victim's body.
Shake, Rattle & Run! The massasauga shakes a rattle on the end of its tail to warn enemies of its presence. The rattle is small compared to other rattlesnakes, but its effect is the same-any creature that hears it should back away.
Airborne: Flicking its forked tongue in and out, the massasauga picks up the scent of its prey. The tongue carries smells from the air to a special organ in the snake's mouth (called the Jacobsen's organ) that recognizes scents.
Deadly in the Dark[]
The massasauga's loud rattle tells potential attackers that they should keep their distance.
The dark-scaled massasauga hunts only at night so victims can't see it coming. The snake doesn't have good vision in the dark, but it has an extra sensory perception device: Small pits above the massasauga's nostrils pick up the faint body heat from the snake's prey. This predator often sniffs out a path that small mammals use, then waits for the oncoming victim.
Small Shots: Venom that the massasauga injects into its victims attacks both blood cells and the nervous system. This combination of toxins is extremely potent (and painful), but the snake only uses it in small, non-lethal doses.
Bounty Hunters: In some regions, the massasauga was such a pest that people put a price on its head-or, rather, its tail. Until 1975, the state of Wisconsin paid $5 per massasauga rattler.
In for a Fall[]
- A man on horseback takes a ride through the American plains. Unfortunately, he's heading his horse through a dried-up riverbed-one of the massasauga's favorite daytime hiding spots.
- Neither man nor horse sees the snake in time, and the horse steps on the snake's tail as it rattles a warning. The massasauga strikes at the horse, which rears up and tosses the rider to the ground.