Massassauga Rattlesnake On Camp Trail

[Woodsman]

Largest one I've seen was over 5 feet.
This was on the trail at the exit end of Cyprus Lake (NE end) back in 1978(still Cyprus Lake Provincial Park then).
A girl in our group actually stepped on it & didn't get bit.
It just continued on into the swampy area just off the trail.
She sure was shaking for a while though.

[gooseman]

Very healthy looking, as you stated "thick in the middle " eating well. Great pics

[mcclelt]

Love seeing these unique pics !

[FishinScuba]

Largest one I've seen was over 5 feet.
This was on the trail at the exit end of Cyprus Lake (NE end) back in 1978(still Cyprus Lake Provincial Park then).
A girl in our group actually stepped on it & didn't get bit.
It just continued on into the swampy area just off the trail.
She sure was shaking for a while though.

Thats a big snake, but not likely a massasauga rattler. They don't get much bigger then 2 feet in length. To OP , that's a great photo. You don't see those around very often.

[rick_iles]

Thats a big snake, but not likely a massasauga rattler. They don't get much bigger then 2 feet in length. To OP , that's a great photo. You don't see those around very often.

Thinking the same thing......likely a fox snake.

[jaycee]

I think you are right fox snakes are easily mistaken for a massasauga rattler.

Eastern foxsnake Joe Crowley

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[rick_iles]

I've seen them over 5 feet long. They even rattle their tails like a rattler, but have no actual rattles. They like swampy areas, more than massasaugas do. Lake Erie or Northern water snakes also look a lot like a massasauga.

[Sharon]

I've seen them over 5 feet long. They even rattle their tails like a rattler, but have no actual rattles. They like swampy areas, more than massasaugas do. Lake Erie or Northern water snakes also look a lot like a massasauga.

They do and I always wonder how these animals learn these things----Did the fox snake say to himself , " I'm going to shake my tail in the leaves so I sound like a rattler." Amazing to me.

[gooseman]

I had one a few yrs back that was around the 5' mark it was in the back shed. I went in there to get something and seen a big snake and heard the rattle which come to find out, was its tail against a plastic bag. Scared the crap out of me and took a few mins to get the courage up to get close enough to tell it was a fox snake.

.

[Mattones]

Do they have venom if so is it enough to head to the ER asap