‘Rarely seen’ venomous rattlesnake discovered by wildlife officials in Ohio

Wildlife officials in Ohio discovered a “rarely seen” venomous rattlesnake during the state’s annual survey last month.

According to a Facebook post on Monday by the Ohio Department of Natural Resources, Huron County Wildlife Officer Matthew D. Smith located an eastern massasauga rattlesnake.

Wildlife officials said the snake was captured for measurements and then released.

According to the U.S. Fish & Wildlife Service website, the small pit viper is found in the northern Midwest and Ontario, Canada. It is one of only two rattlesnake species that live in the Great Lakes region, according to Michigan State University’s Michigan Natural Features Inventory website.

Eastern massasaugas were listed as threatened under the Endangered Species Act in 2016, according to the U.S. Fish & Wildlife Service. That was due to significant reductions in populations primarily because of habitat loss.

Wildlife officials said that while the snake is venomous, its bite is rarely lethal but highly toxic, WLWT-TV reported.

The snake is also called a swamp rattler or Black Snapper, according to WJW-TV.

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