A rare and endangered snake was found in Ohio
PITTSBURGH (KDKA) — A rare and endangered snake was found in Ohio last month.
In a post on Facebook, the Ohio Department of Natural Resources said an eastern massasauga rattlesnake was found in Ohio by Huron County Wildlife Officer Matthew D. Smith. The snake was found during an annual snake survey, the Facebook post said.
Measurements for the snake were not shared by the Ohio Department of Natural Resources, which added that the snake was released.
The U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service said the eastern massasauga rattlesnake was listed as threatened under the Endanger Species Act in 2016 because of "significant" drops in population due to habitat loss.
The eastern massasauga rattlesnake — a small pit viper — is found in Pennsylvania, New York, Ohio, Michigan, Indiana, Illinois, Wisconsin and Iowa. They are mostly gray or light brown and have chocolate brown to black blotches on their back and sides, U.S. Fish & Wildlife Service said.
The snake is venomous, but people are rarely bitten by it because of its "elusive and shy behavior," experts said.