Species Showdown: save the Massasuaga rattlesnake!
Posted onMay 17, 2019byJonathan D. Choquette, PhD|Massasauga Rattlesnake, News and Events, Species Showdown
What is the Ojibway Prairie Reptile Recovery Program? The Ojibway Prairie Complex and Greater Park Ecosystem (OPCGPE) in Ontario’s Windsor-LaSalle region is home to several reptile species threatened by urban development, habitat fragmentation and road mortality, including eastern foxsnakes, Butler’s gartersnakes, Blanding’s turtles and a critically endangered population of massasauga rattlesnakes. The Ojibway Prairie Reptile Recovery Team (OPRREC) works to protect and monitor these species.
Endangered in Carolinian Ontario. Less than 25 individuals left in the wild.
Amount Raised: $1,340
About the Species:
Eastern massasauga rattlesnakes face a number of threats, including habitat loss, road mortality, intentional killing, and illegal collection for the pet trade. While at-risk throughout its range in Ontario, the massasauga rattlesnake population in the Ojibway Prairie is critically small, making it extremely sensitive to threats and at a high risk for local extinction.
Our Hands-on Action:
In 2015 Wildlife Preservation Canada launched the Ojibway Prairie Reptile Recovery program (OPRREC), to protect and connect critical habitat, reduce threats, conduct public outreach, and prepare for long-term population augmentation using techniques such as conservation breeding and translocation. A robust monitoring regime will allow us to evaluate the success of our recovery efforts and to change our techniques as required.
Help the Massasauga Rattlesnake win the Species Showdown!
Make a donation below to show your support.
Why Jon wants you to sponsor his favourite species:
Jonathan Choquette
Lead Biologist – Ojibway Prairie Reptile Recovery
Jonathan Choquette manages the recovery program for the Ojibway population of the massasauga rattlesnake in Southern Ontario. Jonathan is a habitat expert, studying both biology and landscape architecture at the University of Guelph. Jonathan has published numerous articles about the importance of habitat for reptiles and amphibians.
Recent articles on the project
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