Massassauga Rattlesnake On Camp Trail

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Originally Posted by Mattones

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

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same question popped to my head. Canada is not known to have anything poisonous... with exception to monstrous wildlife.

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Originally Posted by poltrojan

same question popped to my head. Canada is not known to have anything poisonous... with exception to monstrous wildlife.

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I think they are a greater threat/risk to dogs, but if I was bitten I'd probably make my way to the ER relatively quickly.

When I took the pic of the rattlesnake, I got talking with a lady who said a local dog had been bitten and was in quite serious condition (but eventually recovered).

From what I read you should go to the ER asap, but rattlers don't always inject venom .

http://massasauga.ca/html/stewardship/section4.pdf

This made me smile :

"A proportionately high percentage of reported snakebites can be associated with alcohol consumption. " quote

If I had a dog off leash in the Bruce I'd have this article in my kit.

http://www.massasauga.ca/stewardship...ion_4/pg41.htm

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Originally Posted by poltrojan

same question popped to my head. Canada is not known to have anything poisonous... with exception to monstrous wildlife.

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Quite the contrary, The massasauga is a venomous pitviper rattlesnake species found in Ontario , but not aggressive and out in Alberta and parts of Saskatchewan there is the Crotalus viridis (Common names: prairie rattlesnake,^[2] western rattlesnake,^[3] plains rattlesnake,^[4] and others) is a venomous pit viper species native to the western United States, southwestern Canada,

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Originally Posted by poltrojan

same question popped to my head. Canada is not known to have anything poisonous... with exception to monstrous wildlife.

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You're uninformed.

We've got native rattlers (obviously given the thread we're in) and at this point a number of non-native venomous spiders have invaded via fruit and veggie shipment from southern climates. Some of these spiders can give really nasty bites

My cousins dog got whacked by a rattler near Parry Sound a few weeks ago. $1000 at the vet for meds including antivenom.

Heck, the odd report of a Timber Rattlesnake pops up from southern ON still

http://www.ontarionature.org/protect...attlesnake.php

A couple years ago or so, a lady down here in LaSalle was bitten by a rattler while she was doing some gardening. They are around.

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Originally Posted by 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.

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Milk snakes will make rattling sound also, especially when in dry leaves! And they are aggressive, scare jeez out of ya!

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Originally Posted by oldbuck

Milk snakes will make rattling sound also, especially when in dry leaves! And they are aggressive, scare jeez out of ya!

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At the time we were on a tour with a park guide.
He identified it as a Massasauga rattler the biggest he has ever scene also. And yes the rattle was clearly visible but it didn't even rattle but just kept going.
Definitely not common at that size but 3' is not that uncommon.

.... well that's so comforting now to know that we have some poisonous category in Canada. unlike Australia.

Attachment 33189Attachment 33187Attachment 33188Thought I would share a couple pics of two Rattlesnakes we had visit us on the patio of the cottage we rented a couple weeks back near Miller Lake. Definitely have to keep an eye out but they were both not aggressive at all. I actually walked by the first one about 3' away before I noticed it.