Ontario residents reminded to stay safe around rattlesnakes
Posted onMay 1, 2025byWildlife Preservation Canada|Conservation Success, Massasauga Rattlesnake, News and Events, Ojibway Prairie Reptile Recovery, Species at RiskPhoto: C. Fournier
FROM WILDLIFE PRESERVATION CANADA
1 May 2025, Guelph ON – As temperatures rise and nature comes back to life, Ontario’s only venomous snake, the Eastern Massasauga rattlesnake, is emerging from hibernation.
This beautiful rattlesnake is a known resident of the Eastern Georgian Bay area, Saugeen Bruce Peninsula, Wainfleet Bog, and the Ojibway Prairie, living in meadows, peat lands, wetlands, bedrock barrens and coniferous forests.
As these endangered snakes emerge from winter hibernation this spring, the chances of encountering one increases.
Wildlife Preservation Canada is encouraging people living and recreating within the Massasauga’s range to be aware and take simple precautions to coexist safely with these reptiles. While they are generally shy and reclusive creatures, Massasaugas can bite in self-defence if they feel threatened.
If you’re visiting an area with Massasauga habitat, stick to designated trails, keep your pets leashed, and avoid picking up snakes. If hiking off-trail, stay alert, watch your footing, and choose footwear that covers your ankles and long loose-fitting pants. In the rare event that you encounter a rattlesnake, give it space and slowly move away from the snake. Maintaining a distance of at least 30 cm should keep you safely out of risk for being bitten.
“It’s easy to stay safe from snakebites while hiking in Massasauga habitat with a few simple precautions: be aware of your surroundings, stay on designated trails, don’t pick up snakes, and keep your pets leashed,” says Dr. Jonathan Choquette, Lead Biologist for WPC’s Ojibway Prairie Reptile Recovery Program, “It’s also important to keep the risks posed by these relatively small rattlesnakes in perspective”.
Snakebite, although very rare in Ontario at less than a dozen in a year, requires immediate medical attention and is certainly to be avoided. With prompt emergency care, however, a healthy recovery is the norm. The Massasauga also has a look-alike, the non-venomous Eastern Foxsnake, which is often mistaken for a rattlesnake. Whereas a Massasauga can grow to a length of 2.5 ft, a Foxsnake can attain a length of over 5ft!
The Eastern Massasauga and its habitat are protected under several laws in Canada. This protection also benefits a diversity of wildflowers, butterflies, amphibians, mammals and birds that share the Massasauga’s habitat. If you are lucky enough to spot a rattlesnake in the wild, please leave it be, and enjoy the sighting from a safe distance.
We need your help
