The Eastern Massasauga Rattlesnake: - U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service

PURPOSE & OBJECTIVES OF THIS DOCUMENT
In October1999, the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service (FWS), added the eastern massasauga
(hereafter referred to as massasauga) to the candidate species list. Candidate species are those
that are in danger of extinction within the foreseeable future. Such species warrant threatened or
endangered status pursuant to the Endangered Species Act of 1973 (ESA) but are awaiting
processing while higher priority listing actions are addressed. Although candidate species are
not yet afforded the protection of the ESA, FWS strives to initiate conservation actions to slow
or halt the decline of such species during this interim period.
During an analysis of the massasauga’s range wide status, FWS discovered that many
populations persist on protected land (i.e., publicly owned or land purposely set-aside by nongovernmental
entities for long-term preservation). This is very fortunate because the decline of
the massasauga can be slowed, perhaps even halted, by considering the biology of this species
during management of these sites.
To facilitate incorporating massasauga biology into existing management strategies, we
solicited the assistance of massasauga experts from across the species range to develop practical
management guidelines for land managers. The objectives of this document are to provide a
basic understanding of massasauga habitat needs and to provide recommendations of how to
consider massasauga in routine management activities. Because of the variability in habitat use
across the species range, these guidelines are not management prescriptions. Rather, this
document should be viewed as a primer for land managers. To successfully incorporate
massasauga biology into management plans, both area- and population-specific factors must be
considered. We envision that these guidelines will provide a foundation from which land
managers, with assistance from massasauga experts, can identify sound conservation actions for
this species at their sites. It is also important to work closely with your state’s endangered
species staff to obtain guidance and necessary permits, as massasaugas are protected to some
degree in every state and province they occur.
Although this handbook is focusing on protected lands, we are not dismissing the value
of private lands in conserving the massasauga. In fact, we believe private lands, particularly
those adjacent to protected properties, are necessary for the long-term stewardship of the
massasauga. Although protected lands provide the core of the remaining habitat, massasauga
populations in many situations use and depend on non-protected lands for foraging, reproduction,
and perhaps hibernation as well. We recognize, however, that conservation efforts on private
lands can be limited by economic and social factors. Thus, our efforts will initially focus on
protected lands.
The context and organization of this document, we hope will meet the needs of most land
managers. We begin with a detailed discussion about the biology of massasaugas, and for a
quick reference provide a bulleted summary of the important components of its life history. In
sections 2 and 3, we provide an in-depth description of the primary factors affecting massasauga
populations and suggested practices to minimize such impacts. Again, for a quick reference, we
also provide bulleted summaries at the end of each section. Lastly, we have included several
appendices with helpful information and examples of various issues discussed in the text.