Western Massasauga
Sistrurus tergeminus
Coloration: 4
Body has grey or tan dorsal background color.
Brown vertebral blotches that run the length of the body contrast sharply with the background color.
Vertebral blotches are closely spaced together and do not flatten into bands on the tail, as seen in Crotalus scutulatus and C. viridis.
An additional three rows of brown spots found laterally along the length of the body, however, the third or ventralmost series can be difficult to distinguish from the background.
Prominent chocolate colored stripe that runs through the eye and above the corner of the mouth; this dark ocular stripe has a thin, bright white line below it.
Behavior: 4
Rattlesnakes are not generally aggressive and will likely flee if given a chance. They are of course venomous, and should be treated with great respect. Able to eat a wide variety of vertebrate prey, S. catenatus takes advantage of locally available food items such as mice, birds, lizards, toads, and even other snakes. Generally nocturnal animals, massasaugas can often be seen above ground following spring and summer rain storms.
Habitat: 4
The habitat of S. c. tergeminus ranges from flat grasslands to low rocky hillsides, whereas S. c. edwardsii is restricted to the low, flat grasslands.
General Distribution: 4
The geographical range of Sisturus catenatus is a patchy and which stretches across the United States and Canada. With its western extreme in southeastern Arizona, the massasauga is found through many of the midwestern states and is present as far east as portions of New York and adjacent Canada. Small, peripheral populations can also be found in northern Mexico.
Texas Distribution: 4
Sistrurus catenatus is present in northern portions of the Trans-Pecos and the Permian Basin region, through the remaining vestiges of prairie along the Gulf Coast, central Texas, and the eastern Panhandle and into south Texas.
Conservation Status: 4
The massasauga is not a protected species in Texas and can be legally collected with a hunting license.
Sources and Credits
- (c) Adam W. Ferguson, some rights reserved (CC BY-NC), uploaded by Adam W. Ferguson
- (c) Laurie Hall, some rights reserved (CC BY-NC), uploaded by Laurie Hall
- (c) Bryan Box, some rights reserved (CC BY-NC), uploaded by Bryan Box
- (c) Caleb Paul, some rights reserved (CC BY-SA), https://www.inaturalist.org/guide_taxa/778222
