Eastern Massasauga Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words

Eastern Massasauga - Essay Example Eastern Massasauga is a rattlesnake, tail tipped by grey-yellow horny rattles and with several dark brown rings. An adult Massasauga is 18 to 30 inches in length (US fish and wildlife service web). Eastern Massasaugas inhabit wet areas. During spring, Massasauga use open shallow wetlands or shrub swamps. During summer, they move upward to drier areas where they can be found the sunning in open fields. In the northern part of the US, Eastern Massasauga live in Canada, Ontario, around Georgia bay, Northern Indiana, and Northern and Central Ohio. In addition, they live in Lower Peninsula of Michigan although they are declining due to human activities. Its protection in Michigan as an endangered species is due to destruction of its habitats. Eastern Massasauga is classified in the Eukarya domain, Animalia kingdom, Chordata Phylum, and reptilian class. The botanical name of Eastern Massasauga is Sistrurus Catenatus. The word â€Å"Massasauga† translates to â€Å"great river mouth,† in the Chippewa language describing wet areas surrounding a river where snakes can be found. Other names given to Eastern Massasauga are black Massasauga rattlers, Massasauga rattlers, Michigan rattlers and swamp rattlers (Eastern Massasauga rattlesnake web). An Eastern Massasauga is a slow moving snake that often strikes if disturbed. In New York, it is the smallest of the three venomous snakes. They employ camouflage where they hide in areas that bear the same colour as themselves. Massasaugas take advantage of their different adaptations to survive in the wet areas. For instance they have to detect prey from a distance through its organs. It uses Vomero-nasal organ also known as Jacobson’s organ that is located at the roof of the mouth with nerve endings in to the brain to detect prey. They take their tongue out to pick some air and place it on to the surface of Vomero for detection. In addition, this organ detects mates, geographical regions, and predators (John