Rattlesnakes released in Wisconsin refuge

According to Brian McCombie, an outdoor writer for internet website www.alloutdoors.com, a total of 17 rattlesnakes were released earlier this year on an Wisconsin wildlife refuge.

The 17 were endangered Eastern Massasauga rattlesnakes which were released at the Necedah National Wildlife Refuge (NWR) in Juneau County, Wisc.

According to Rich King, the refuge's wildlife biologist who is overseeing the project, this is the second release. Last year, 15 of the rattlers were introduced to the refuge but only one made it through the winter.

King hopes this newest batch will see better survival rates and notes that if this happens, other releases could be implemented in the future.

Adult Massasaugas are usually two to three feet long, dark brown, and yes, they are poisonous. In fact, the snake's poisonous capabilities was a key reason that a five dollar bounty was paid on it until 1975, That was despite the fact that no one is on record of dying from a bite after 1900.

But the bounty was ended due to dwindling numbers when the Dept. of Natural Resources put the snake on Wisconsin's Endangered and Threatened Species List.

Human predation, though, was only one reason for the low population.

Loss of wetland habitat was also important and the Necedah NWR with its miles of swamps, sloughs and small streams seems a likely place to reestablish the Massasauga.

A member of the pit viper family, Massasaugas eat small rodents, frogs and even other snakes.,

But the snake also finds itself prey and is dined upon by skunks, foxes, raccoons, hawks and eagles, all found in good numbers at Necedah.