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86-708: The eastern massasauga ( Sistrurus catenatus ) is a rattlesnake species found in central and eastern North America from southern Ontario in Canada and throughout the Midwestern and Eastern United States. Like all rattlesnakes, it is a pit viper and is venomous ; it is the only species of venomous snake in Ontario. Three subspecies were recognized for more than a century, although research published in 2011 elevated two subspecies Sistrurus catenatus catenatus and Sistrurus catenatus tergeminus , to full species:

172-556: A Récollet missionary , Joseph Le Caron , who would live among the Huron in 1615–1616 and 1623–1624. Another Récollet missionary, Gabriel Sagard , lived there from 1623–34. The French Jesuit Jean de Brébeuf began a mission in Huronia in 1626. In 1639 he oversaw the building of the mission fort of Sainte-Marie, Ontario's first European settlement, at what is now the town of Midland . The reconstructed Jesuit mission, Sainte-Marie among

258-411: A behavior and allowed for the rattle to be selected for once developed. Even a small, underdeveloped rattle early in the evolution of the rattling system could have been advantageous if tail vibration was an ancestral behavior. At birth, a "prebutton" is present at the tip of the snake's tail; it is replaced by the "button" several days later when the first skin is shed. However, no sound can be made by

344-553: A comparatively low venom yield, the venom toxicity of C. tigris is considered to be among the highest of all rattlesnake venoms, and among the highest of all snakes in the Western Hemisphere based on LD 50 studies conducted on laboratory mice. C. scutulatus is also widely regarded as producing one of the most toxic snake venoms in the Americas, based on LD 50 studies in laboratory mice . Rattlesnake venom

430-475: A distance inland, sites are geographically-temporally stratified in correspondence with water levels. For example, at two sites along Batteaux Creek near modern-day Collingwood adjacent to the south shore of Georgian Bay, the transitional Late Paleo-Indian– Early Archaic McKean site corresponds to the relatively low water ebb of Lake Hough, while the Middle Archaic Rentner site (likely

516-419: A duration of up to three hours. In 2016, Allf et al. published a paper proposing behavioral plasticity as the mechanism by which the rattling system evolved in rattlesnakes. In the case of rattlesnakes, Allf et al. proposed that tail vibration in response to predator threat could be the precursor for the rattling system in rattlesnakes, an example of behavioral plasticity . To investigate this hypothesis,

602-428: A grand celebration, and many women came. Kitchikewana met a woman named Wanakita here. He decided that this was the woman he wanted to marry, and started planning the wedding immediately after she left. But when she was invited back, she told Kitchikewana that she was already engaged. Enraged, Kitchikewana destroyed all the decorations, running to one end of Beausoleil Island and grabbing a large ball of earth. Running to

688-503: A grey or tan ground color with a row of large, rounded, brown/black blotches or spots down the center of the back and three smaller rows of alternating spots down each side. Solid black melanistic examples are also known, as well as cases where the back blotches join with those on the sides. Young massasaugas are well-patterned, but paler than the adults. They have heat-sensing pits on each side of their smallish heads, their scales are keeled, and their anal scales are single. Common names of

774-700: A narrow range of elevations. Most species live near open, rocky areas. Rocks offer them cover from predators, plentiful prey (e.g. rodents, lizards, insects, etc. that live amidst the rocks), and open basking areas. However, rattlesnakes can also be found in a wide variety of other habitats, including prairies , marshes , deserts , and forests . Rattlesnakes prefer a temperature range between 80 and 90 °F (26 and 32 °C), but can survive temperatures below freezing, recovering from brief exposure to temperatures as low as 4 °F (−16 °C), and surviving for several days in temperatures as low as 37 °F (3 °C). The most probable ancestral area of rattlesnakes

860-599: A person lingers too long or gets too close. Rattlesnakes are the leading cause of snakebite injuries in North America and a significant cause in Central and South America. Rattlesnakes tend to avoid wide-open spaces where they cannot hide from predators, and generally avoid humans if they are aware of their approach. Rattlesnakes rarely bite unless they feel threatened or provoked. A majority of victims (about 72% ) are males. Around half of bites occur in cases where

946-635: A rattlesnake bite although they can be vaccinated against them. Georgian Bay Georgian Bay is surrounded by (listed clockwise ) the districts of Manitoulin , Sudbury , Parry Sound and Muskoka , as well as the more populous counties of Simcoe , Grey and Bruce . The Main Channel separates the Bruce Peninsula from Manitoulin Island and connects Georgian Bay to the rest of Lake Huron. The North Channel, located between Manitoulin Island and

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1032-404: A three-chambered heart composed of two atria and one ventricle. The right atrium receives deoxygenated blood from veins coming from the systemic circuit. The left atrium receives oxygenated blood from the lungs in the pulmonary circuit and pumps it to the ventricle and through the systemic circuit via capillaries and arteries . Rattlesnake skin has a set of overlapping scales that cover

1118-400: A trail the males follow using their tongues and Jacobson's organs as guides. Once a receptive female has been located, the male often spends several days following her around (a behavior not common outside of the mating season), frequently touching and rubbing her in an attempt to stimulate her. The males of some species, such as timber rattlesnakes ( C. horridus ), fight each other during

1204-464: A true shoreline site) reflects the high water levels of the later Nipissing transgression. At the time of European contact , the Ojibwe and Ottawa First Nations , both of whom call themselves Anishinaabe (plural: Anishinaabeg ), lived along the northern, eastern and western shores of Georgian Bay. The Huron (or Wendat) and Petun inhabited the lands along the southern coast, having migrated from

1290-408: A variety of larger predators, including coyotes, eagles , hawks , owls , falcons , feral pigs , badgers , indigo snakes , and kingsnakes. The common kingsnake ( Lampropeltis getula ), a constrictor, is immune to the venom of rattlesnakes and other vipers , and rattlesnakes form part of its natural diet. Rattlesnakes sense kingsnakes' presence by their odor. When they realize a kingsnake

1376-505: A wide array of habitats, hunting small animals such as birds and rodents. Rattlesnakes receive their name from the rattle located at the end of their tails, which makes a loud rattling noise when vibrated that deters predators. Rattlesnakes are the leading contributor to snakebite injuries in North America, but rarely bite unless provoked or threatened; if treated promptly, the bites are seldom fatal. The 36 known species of rattlesnakes have between 65 and 70 subspecies, all native to

1462-422: A wide variety of “chemical cocktails” in rattlesnake venoms. The prevailing theory for the driving force of this evolution is directional selection , where efficacy on prey is selected for. Diversity in prey leads to less specificity in toxins, while highly specialized toxins are more likely to develop when there are few key prey species. However, recently, balancing selection has been indicated to better explain

1548-758: Is "...   on the prairies of the upper Missouri" (Valley, US). The species S. catenatus is classified as least concern on the IUCN Red List of Threatened Species . The population trend is unknown. The eastern massasauga has been listed as a candidate species on the United States Endangered Species Act since 1999. The eastern massasauga is listed as an endangered species in Illinois , Indiana , Iowa , Minnesota , Missouri (also considered extirpated ), New York, Ohio , Pennsylvania , and Wisconsin . Michigan,

1634-614: Is a YMCA summer camp for youth located on Beausoleil Island, in southern Georgian Bay, named after Kitchikewana. YMCA Camp Kitchikewana, or Kitchi for short, has been located in Georgian Bay Islands National Park since 1919. Originally operated by the Midland YMCA, it is now the residential camp for youth from the YMCA of Simcoe/Muskoka. Wasaga Beach has now passed Collingwood as the largest town on

1720-501: Is a mixture of five to fifteen enzymes , various metal ions , biogenic amines , lipids , free amino acids , proteins , and polypeptides . More specifically, there are three main families of toxins in rattlesnakes: phospholipases A2 (PLA2s), snake venom metalloproteinases (SVMPs), and snake venom serine proteinases (SVSPs). It contains components meant to immobilize and disable the prey, as well as digestive enzymes, which break down tissue to prepare for later ingestion . The venom

1806-532: Is considered to be the second largest of the Great Lakes - if Georgian Bay were excluded, Lake Huron would be the third largest (after Lake Superior and Lake Michigan , but still ahead of Lake Erie and Lake Ontario). There are tens of thousands of islands in Georgian Bay. Most of these islands are along the east side of the bay and are collectively known as the " Thirty Thousand Islands ", including

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1892-561: Is derived from the Greek κρόταλον, meaning " castanet ". The name Sistrurus is the Latinized form of the Greek word for "tail rattler" (Σείστρουρος, seistrouros ) and shares its root with the ancient Egyptian musical instrument the sistrum , a type of rattle. Rattlesnakes are native to the Americas from southern Canada to central Argentina, with the majority of species inhabiting arid regions. The large majority of species live in

1978-714: Is found only near the eastern shore of Georgian Bay , the Bruce Peninsula , the North Shore of Lake Huron , Wainfleet Bog, and Ojibway Prairie. It is becoming rare in Canada due to persecution and loss of habitat and is designated as "threatened" by the Committee on the Status of Endangered Wildlife in Canada ( COSEWIC ), as well as the Committee on the Status of Species-at-risk in Ontario (COSSARO). In Pennsylvania,

2064-610: Is more acute during daylight conditions. Rattlesnakes also possess cone cells , which means they are capable of some form of color vision. The rattlesnake eye lacks a fovea , making vision of sharply defined images impossible. Instead, they mostly rely on the perception of movement. Rattlesnake eyes are capable of horizontal rotation, but they do not appear to move their eyeballs to follow moving objects. Rattlesnakes have an exceptionally keen sense of smell . They can sense olfactory stimuli both through their nostrils and by flicking their tongues , which carry scent-bearing particles to

2150-435: Is nearby, they begin enacting a set of defensive postures known as "body bridging". Unlike its normal erect and coiled defensive-striking posture, the rattlesnake keeps its head low to the ground in an attempt to prevent the kingsnake from gaining a hold on it (the head being the first part of the rattlesnake to be ingested). The rattlesnake jerks its body about, while bridging its back upwards, forming an elevated coil that faces

2236-610: Is similar to the human penis . Females can store semen for months in internal recesses known as spermathecae , which permits them to mate during the fall, but not fertilize the ova until the following spring. The Arizona black rattlesnake ( C. oreganus cerberus ), has been observed to exhibit complex social behavior reminiscent of that in mammals. Females often remain with their young in nests for several weeks, and mothers have been observed co-operatively parenting their broods. Rattlesnakes generally take several years to mature, and females usually reproduce only once every three years. In

2322-610: Is the Sierra Madre Occidental region in Mexico. The most probable vegetation or habitat of the ancestral area appears to be pine-oak forests. Rattlesnakes typically consume mice , rats , rabbits , squirrels , small birds , and other small animals . They lie in wait for their prey , or hunt for it in holes . The rattlesnake's defence and hunting mechanisms are bound to its physiology and its environment. More importantly environmental temperature can influence

2408-433: Is very stable, and retains its toxicity for many years in storage. Snake venom , in general, has a complex and ongoing evolutionary process, and rattlesnake venom is no different. The primary mechanisms of evolution are both gene duplication and gene loss events. The duplication events provided material for neofunctionalization to create the novel toxin genes, while gene loss influenced speciation and helped lead to such

2494-720: The American Southwest and Mexico. Four species may be found east of the Mississippi River , and two in South America. In the United States, the state with the most types of rattlesnakes is Arizona, with 13. Rattlesnakes are found in almost every habitat type capable of supporting terrestrial ectothermic vertebrates , but individual species may have extremely specific habitat requirements, living where certain plant associations occur or within

2580-635: The Americas , ranging from central Argentina to southern Canada. The largest rattlesnake, the eastern diamondback , can measure up to 2.4 m (7.9 ft) in length. Rattlesnakes are preyed upon by hawks , weasels , kingsnakes , and a variety of other species. Rattlesnakes are heavily preyed upon as neonates , while they are still weak and immature. Large numbers of rattlesnakes are killed by humans. Rattlesnake populations in many areas are severely threatened by habitat destruction , poaching , and extermination campaigns. The scientific name Crotalus

2666-742: The Appalachian Mountains of New England reproduce every three years on average; the lance-headed rattlesnake ( C. polystictus ), native to the warm climate of Mexico, reproduces annually. Like most other snakes, rattlesnakes aestivate during very hot or dry periods, which is why they are rarely seen during the hottest and driest months of summer. Rattlesnakes tend to avoid developed areas, preferring undisturbed, natural habitats. Rapid habitat destruction by humans, mass killings during events such as rattlesnake round-ups , and deliberate extermination campaigns all pose threats to rattlesnake populations in many areas. Several species, such as

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2752-596: The Canadian Shield , granite bedrock exposed by the glaciers at the end of the last ice age , about 11,000 years ago. The granite rock formations and windswept eastern white pine are characteristic of the islands and much of the shoreline of the bay. The rugged beauty of the area inspired landscapes by artists of the Group of Seven . The western part of the bay, from Collingwood north, and including Manitoulin , Drummond , Cockburn and St. Joseph islands, borders

2838-731: The Georgian Bay Littoral was declared a Biosphere Reserve by UNESCO . Archaeological records reveal an Aboriginal presence in the southern regions of the Canadian Shield dating from 11,000 years ago. Evidence of later Paleo-Indian settlements have been found on Manitoulin Island and near Killarney . During the period of deglaciation , a succession of prehistoric lakes in the Huron basin caused shoreline advance and retreat. The former shoreline of pro-glacial Lake Algonquin left behind high ridges which were attractive sites for human occupation. As shorelines retreated,

2924-525: The Jacobson's organs in the roof of their mouths. Like all snakes, rattlesnakes lack external ear openings, and the structures of their middle ear are not as highly specialized as those of other vertebrates, such as mammals. Thus, their sense of hearing is not very effective, but they are capable of sensing vibrations in the ground, passed by the skeleton to the auditory nerve . Rattlesnake fangs are connected by venom ducts to large venom glands near

3010-559: The Niagara Escarpment . Because of its size and narrowness of the straits joining it with the rest of Lake Huron, which is analogous to if not as pronounced as the separation of Lake Huron and Lake Michigan, Georgian Bay is sometimes called the "sixth Great Lake". If Georgian Bay were considered a lake in its own right, it would be the fourth largest lake located entirely within Canada (after Great Bear Lake , Great Slave Lake and Lake Winnipeg ). With Georgian Bay, Lake Huron

3096-603: The Ojibwe , it is known as "Spirit Lake". To the Huron-Wendat , it is known as Lake Attigouatan. Samuel de Champlain , the first European to explore and map the area in 1615–1616, called it " La Mer douce " (the sweet/calm/fresh sea), which was a reference to the bay's freshwater . It was named "Lake Manitoulin" by Royal Navy Captain William Fitzwilliam Owen. In 1822, after Great Britain had taken over

3182-543: The Ojibwe language and was probably given to describe grasslands surrounding the river deltas in Ojibwe country. S. catenatus is found in North America from Ontario, Canada and central and western New York throughout the Great Lakes region to the Midwest. It occurs in various habitats ranging from swamps and marshes to grasslands, usually below 1,500 m (4,900 ft) elevation. The type locality given

3268-671: The commonwealth . The diet of S. catenatus consists of a variety of small vertebrates , including mammals , birds , bird eggs , lizards , and other snakes, as well as invertebrates such as centipedes and insects . Mammals and reptiles make up the bulk of their diet. Adults feed mainly on rodents (such as voles , white-footed mice , jumping mice , and shrews ), while juveniles usually prey on reptiles, more often lizards in western populations and snakes in eastern ones. Frogs also constitute an important part of their diet: Ruthven (1928) mentioned that in Michigan they made up

3354-401: The ova ("eggs") in her ovaries , after which they pass through her body cavity and into one of her two oviducts . The ova are arranged in a continuous chain in a coiled section of the oviduct, known as the "tuba". Male rattlesnakes have sexual organs known as hemipenes , located in the base of the tail. The hemipenis is retracted inside of the body when mating is not occurring. The hemipenis

3440-478: The 1850s and are known collectively as the Imperial Towers. Some of the 32 can be toured by the public, some cannot, and some are accessible only by tour boats or private boat. Wyandot legend tells of a god called Kitchikewana, who was large enough to guard the whole of the Georgian Bay. Kitchikewana was known for his great temper, and his tribe decided the best way to calm him was with a wife. They held

3526-675: The British schooner HMS Nancy was sunk by three American vessels. Several weeks later, Nancy was avenged when British boarding parties in the De Tour Passage surprised and captured two of the three American vessels. The first nautical charts of Georgian Bay were made in 1815 by Captain William Fitzwilliam Owen , who called it Lake Manitoulin. Captain Henry Bayfield , who made more detailed charts of

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3612-649: The Hurons , is now a historic park operated by Huronia Historical Parks, an agency of the Ontario Ministry of Tourism and Culture . Also nearby is the Martyrs' Shrine , a Catholic church dedicated to the Canadian Martyrs , Jesuits who were killed during Iroquois warfare against the Huron around Georgian Bay in the 17th century. The Bay appears on maps of the time as "Toronto Bay". Penetanguishene ,

3698-607: The Sudbury District, west of Killarney , was once a popular route for steamships and is now used by a variety of pleasure craft to travel to and from Georgian Bay. The shores and waterways of the Georgian Bay are the traditional domain of the Anishinaabeg First Nations peoples to the north and Huron - Petun (Wyandot) to the south. The bay was thus a major Algonquian - Iroquoian trade route. Georgian Bay has been known by several names. To

3784-434: The ability of ectotherms. The prey is killed quickly with a venomous bite as opposed to constriction . If the bitten prey moves away before dying, the rattlesnake can follow it by its scent . When it locates the fallen prey, it checks for signs of life by prodding with its snout, flicking its tongue, and using its sense of smell. Once the prey has become incapacitated, the rattlesnake locates its head by odors emitted from

3870-514: The bay, not long after Collingwood had surpassed Owen Sound . Owen Sound served for a long time as a shipping and rail depot for the Upper Great Lakes . The towns of Midland and Penetanguishene and villages of Port Severn and Honey Harbour are at the southeastern end of the bay and are popular sites for summer cottages, as are the many bays and islands on the eastern coast. Collingwood, Meaford , and Wasaga Beach are located at

3956-571: The bay, renamed it in 1822 after King George IV. His charts are the basis for those in use today. The Canadian Hydrographic Service traces its history back to 1883, when it was originally established as the Georgian Bay Survey, tasked with charting and improving knowledge of the bay after a steamship wrecked there the previous year, killing 150 of its passengers. Over the years, 32 lighthouses were built on Georgian Bay. Six of them were designed with limestone towers; these were built in

4042-482: The colder winter months, some rattlesnake species enter a period of brumation , which is dormancy similar to hibernation . They often gather together for brumation in large numbers (sometimes over 1,000 snakes), huddling together inside underground "rattlesnake dens" or hibernacula. They regularly share their winter burrows with a wide variety of other species (such as turtles , small mammals, invertebrates , and other types of snakes). Rattlesnakes often return to

4128-601: The death of the small animals that this snake eats. After envenomation, the rattlesnake is able to withdraw from the dangers of sharp-toothed prey animals until they are subdued and even partially digested by the action of the venom. S. catenatus is rather shy and avoids humans when it can. Most massasauga snakebites in Ontario have occurred after people deliberately handled or accidentally stepped on one of these animals. Both of these scenarios can be prevented by avoiding hiking through areas of low visibility (in rattlesnake country) when not wearing shoes and long pants and by leaving

4214-582: The eastern massasauga ( Sistrurus catenatus ) and the western massasauga ( Sistrurus tergeminus ). The status of the third subspecies was somewhat unresolved and it is tentatively recognized as the desert massasauga ( Sistrurus tergeminus edwardsii ) by some, or synonymized with the western massasauga ( Sistrurus tergeminus ) by others. It is currently thought that eastern massassauga is monotypic ; i.e. has no recognized subspecies. Adults of S. catenatus are not large, ranging from 60 to 75 cm (24 to 30 in) in length. Their color pattern consists of

4300-414: The entire body, providing protection from a variety of threats, including dehydration and physical trauma. The typical rattlesnake, genus Crotalus , has the top of its head covered with small scales, except, with a few species, a few crowded plates directly over the snout. The skin of snakes is highly sensitive to contact, tension, and pressure; they are capable of feeling pain. An important function of

4386-559: The eyes with these thermal images from the pit organs to more accurately visualize their surroundings in low levels of light. Research conducted recently on the molecular mechanism of this ability suggests the temperature sensitivity of these pit organs is closely linked to the activity of transient receptor potential ankyrin 1, a temperature-sensitive ion channel saturated in the pit membrane. Rattlesnake eyes, which contain many rod cells , are well adapted to nocturnal use. Rattlesnakes, though, are not exclusively nocturnal, and their vision

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4472-510: The functional pair. Rattlesnake venom is hemotoxic, destroying tissue, causing necrosis and coagulopathy (disrupted blood clotting). In the U.S., the tiger rattlesnake ( C. tigris ) and some varieties of the Mojave rattlesnake ( C. scutulatus ) also have a presynaptic neurotoxic venom component known as Mojave type A toxin, which can cause severe paralysis . However, most North American rattlesnakes are not neurotoxic. Although it has

4558-426: The highly mobile Paleo-Indian groups of the period were able to migrate northward into this new land. Declining water levels created two distinct lakes in the Huron basin: Lake Stanley and Lake Hough , the latter of which corresponds to the modern Georgian Bay. Lake Stanley drained into Lake Hough through a spillway. While it is sometimes unclear whether some sites were contemporaneous with shorelines or were located

4644-461: The kingsnake. The elevated coil is used to strike the attacker, and is also used to shield the head from the kingsnake. Like all pit vipers, rattlesnakes have two organs that can sense radiation ; their eyes and a set of heat-sensing "pits" on their faces that enable them to locate prey and move towards it, based on the prey's thermal radiation signature. These pits have a relatively short effective range of about 1 ft (0.30 m) but give

4730-494: The larger Parry Island . Manitoulin Island, lying along the northern side of the bay, is the world's largest island in a freshwater lake. The Trent–Severn Waterway connects Georgian Bay to Lake Ontario, running from Port Severn in the southeastern corner of Georgian Bay through Lake Simcoe into Lake Ontario near Trenton . Further north, Lake Nipissing drains into Georgian Bay through the French River . In October 2004,

4816-531: The location of an Ojibwe village located at the southern tip of the bay near present-day Midland, was developed as a naval base in 1793 by John Graves Simcoe , first Lieutenant Governor of Upper Canada . In 1814, during the War of 1812 between Great Britain and the United States, one of the battles was fought in southern Georgian Bay. On August 17, at the mouth of the Nottawasaga River near Wasaga Beach,

4902-512: The main portion of their diet. According to Klauber (1956), S. catenatus feeds on frogs more frequently than any other rattlesnake. In general, however, frogs are not an important part of the diet, although this does seem to be more typical in certain northern and eastern populations. The venom of S. catenatus is a cytotoxic venom, so it destroys tissue. It also contains specialized digestive enzymes that disrupt blood flow and prevent blood clotting. Severe internal bleeding causes

4988-481: The maintenance of adaptive genetic diversity in venom-related genes, potentially allowing for the rattlesnakes to better keep up in the evolutionary arms race with their prey. Older snakes possess more potent venom, and larger snakes are frequently capable of storing larger volumes of it. The rattle serves as a warning for predators of the rattlesnake. The rattle is composed of a series of hollow, interlocked segments made of keratin , which are created by modifying

5074-626: The massasauga include: massasauga rattlesnake, massasauga rattler (Ontario), black massasauga, black rattler, black snapper, gray rattlesnake (Iowa), little grey rattlesnake (Canada), muck rattler, prairie rattlesnake, spotted rattler, swamp rattler, dwarf prairie rattlesnake, eastern massasauga great adder, ground rattlesnake, Kirtland's rattlesnake, little black rattlesnake, Michigan point rattler (Michigan), prairie massasauga, rattlesnake, small prairie rattlesnake, snapper, swamp massasauga, swamp rattlesnake, and triple-spotted rattlesnake. The Native American word, "massasauga", means "great river-mouth" in

5160-467: The mating season, in competition over females. These fights, known as "combat dances", consist of the two males intertwining the anterior portion of their bodies, often with their heads and necks held vertically. The larger males usually end up driving the smaller males away. Although many kinds of snakes and other reptiles are oviparous (lay eggs), rattlesnakes are ovoviviparous (give birth to live young after carrying eggs inside). The female produces

5246-418: The meal was adequate, the snake finds a warm, safe location in which to coil up and rest until the prey is digested. Feeding habits play an important ecological role by limiting the size of rodent populations, which prevents crop damage and stabilizes ecosystems. Rattlesnakes are believed to require at least their own body weight in water annually to remain hydrated . The method by which they drink depends on

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5332-437: The mouth. The prey is then ingested head first, which allows wings and limbs to fold at the joints in a manner that minimizes the girth of the meal. The gastric fluids of rattlesnakes are extremely powerful, allowing for the digestion of flesh and bone. Optimal digestion occurs when the snake maintains a body temperature between 80 and 85 °F (25 and 29 °C). If the prey is small, the rattlesnake often continues hunting. If

5418-467: The northern shores of Lake Ontario. Names of islands such as "Manitoulin" (from Gitchi Manitou , the Great Spirit who left the bay as a source of life for the first people) and "Giant's Tomb" are indicative of the richness of the cultural history of the area. Aboriginal communities continue to live on their territories and practise their cultural traditions. The first European to visit this area

5504-465: The number of rattles on its tail is not related to the age of a rattlesnake. Compared to females, males have thicker and longer tails (because they contain the inverted hemipenes ). Also, the tails of males taper gradually from the body, whereas the tails of females narrow abruptly at the vent. Rattlesnakes, like other members of the Squamata order, have a circulatory system that is powered by

5590-555: The only state in which it is not considered endangered, lists it as "special concern". The subspecies is a candidate for federal listing. As of 2016, the massasauga is listed as Threatened under the Endangered Species Act . The eastern massasauga is listed as threatened under both Ontario's Endangered Species Act, 2007, and the federal Species at Risk Act , and is protected under the Fish and Wildlife Conservation Act. It

5676-553: The organ. Due to the high density of heat-sensitive receptors innervating this membrane, the rattlesnake can detect temperature changes of 0.003 °C or less in its immediate surroundings. Infrared cues from these receptors are transmitted to the brain by the trigeminal nerve, where they are used to create thermal maps of the snake's surroundings. Due to the small sizes of the pit openings, typically these thermal images are low in resolution and contrast. Nevertheless, rattlesnakes superimpose visual images created from information from

5762-411: The other end, he tossed it into the Great Lakes. Thus, the 30,000 Islands were created. The indentations left behind by his fingers form the five bays of Georgian Bay: Midland Bay, Penetang Bay, Hog Bay, Sturgeon Bay, and Matchedash Bay . He then lay down to sleep and sleeps there still as Giant's Tomb Island . The town of Penetanguishene now has a large statue of Kitchikewana on its main street. There

5848-486: The outer edge of the upper jaw, towards the rear of the head. When the rattlesnake bites, muscles on the sides of the venom glands contract to squeeze the venom through the ducts and into the fangs. When the fangs are not in use, they remain folded against the palate. Rattlesnakes are born with fully functioning fangs and venom, and are capable of killing prey at birth. Adult rattlesnakes shed their fangs every 6–10 weeks. At least three pairs of replacement fangs lie behind

5934-456: The rattle until a second segment is added when the skin is shed again. A new rattle segment is added each time the snake sheds its skin, and the snake may shed its skin several times a year, depending on food supply and growth rate. Rattlesnakes travel with their rattles held up to protect them from damage, but in spite of this precaution, their day-to-day activities in the wild still cause them to regularly break off end segments. Because of this,

6020-432: The rattlesnake a distinct advantage in hunting for warm-blooded creatures at night. Aside from their eyes, rattlesnakes are able to detect thermal radiation emitted by warm-blooded organisms in their environment. Functioning optically like a pinhole camera eye, thermal radiation in the form of infrared light passes through the opening of the pit and strikes the pit membrane located in the back wall, warming this part of

6106-412: The researchers analyzed tail vibration and relatedness to rattlesnakes among snakes in the families Viperidae and Colubridae . Their results demonstrated that the more closely related a species was to rattlesnakes, the more similar that species was to rattlesnakes in both duration and rate of tail vibration. These results strongly support the hypothesis that tail vibration preceded the rattling system as

6192-498: The same den, year after year, sometimes traveling several miles to get there. How the rattlesnakes find their way back to the dens each year is unknown, but may involve a combination of pheromone trails and visual cues (e.g., topography , celestial navigation , and solar orientation). Species with long periods of brumation tend to have much lower reproductive rates than those with shorter brumation periods or those that do not brumate at all. Female timber rattlesnakes in high peaks in

6278-594: The same time another young interpreter trainee, a youth remembered only as Thomas, who was employed by the French surgeon and trader Daniel Boyer, also likely made it to Huronia, in the company of the Onontchataronon, another member of the confederacy. In 1615, Brulé's employer, the French explorer Samuel de Champlain, made his own visit to Georgian Bay and overwintered in Huronia. He was preceded that summer by

6364-399: The scales that cover the tip of the tail. The contraction of special "shaker" muscles in the tail causes these segments to vibrate against one another, thus making the rattling noise (which is amplified because the segments are hollow) in a behavior known as tail vibration . The muscles which cause rattling are some of the fastest known, firing 50 times per second on average, sustainable for

6450-414: The skin is the sensation of changes in air temperature, which can guide the snakes towards warm basking/shelter locations. All snakes are ectotherms . To maintain a stable body temperature, they exchange heat with their external environments. Snakes often move into open, sunny areas to absorb heat from the sun and warmed earth, a behavior known as basking. Nerves in the skin regulate the flow of blood into

6536-427: The skin to expand to envelop a much greater volume. The skin appears to tightly stretch to accommodate the meal, but in reality, the skin is simply smoothing out from its creased state and is not under very high tension. Most rattlesnake species mate during the summer or fall, while some species mate only in the spring, or during both the spring and fall. Females secrete small amounts of sex pheromones , which leave

6622-457: The smaller crotaline species are frequently killed and eaten by small predatory birds, such as jays , kingfishers , and shrikes . Some species of ants in the genus Formica are known to prey upon neonates, and Solenopsis invicta (fire ants) likely do, as well. On occasion, hungry adult rattlesnakes cannibalize neonates. The small proportion (often as few as 20%) of rattlesnakes that make it to their second year are heavily preyed upon by

6708-515: The snakes alone if encountered. Only two incidents of people dying from massasauga rattlesnake bites in Ontario have been recorded; in both cases, the victims did not receive proper treatment. Rattlesnake The subfamily also includes many genera of pit vipers that are not rattlesnakes. Rattlesnakes are venomous snakes that form the genera Crotalus and Sistrurus of the subfamily Crotalinae (the pit vipers). All rattlesnakes are vipers . Rattlesnakes are predators that live in

6794-490: The southern end of the bay, around Nottawasaga Bay . Owen Sound, Wiarton , and Lion's Head are located on the Bruce Peninsula along the southern and southwestern shores of the bay, while Tobermory is located at the northern tip of the Bruce Peninsula on the Main Channel. The passenger ferry MS  Chi-Cheemaun travels from Tobermory across the Main Channel to South Baymouth on Manitoulin Island. Parry Sound ,

6880-439: The species has experienced a rapid decline largely because of habitat loss . Historically, this has been due to human activity and more recently primarily from natural forest succession. By 1988, the snake had disappeared from half of the counties that constituted its historical range. A 2003–2005 survey showed only four locations in two counties with confirmed populations. It is classified as "critically imperiled" to "imperiled" in

6966-405: The territory, Lieutenant Henry Wolsey Bayfield of a Royal Navy expedition named it as "Georgian Bay" (after King George IV ). Georgian Bay is about 190 kilometres (120 mi) long by 80 kilometres (50 mi) wide. It covers approximately 15,000 square kilometres (5,800 sq mi), making it nearly 80% the size of Lake Ontario . Eastern Georgian Bay is part of the southern edge of

7052-650: The timber rattlesnake, massasauga , and canebrake rattlesnake, are listed as threatened or endangered in many U.S. states. Many rattlesnakes die from being run over by cars. In more heavily populated and trafficked areas, reports have been increasing of rattlesnakes that do not rattle. This phenomenon is falsely attributed to selective pressure by humans, who often kill the snakes when they are discovered. However, snake experts have dismissed this theory, stating that snakes simply do not rattle as often as laymen expect them to, and that snakes that live near populated areas simply get used to people passing by, only rattling when

7138-442: The veins near the surface. The skin of rattlesnakes is intricately patterned in a manner that camouflages them from their predators. Rattlesnakes do not generally have bright or showy colors (reds, yellows, blues, etc.), instead relying on subtle earth tones that resemble the surrounding environment. Creases in the epidermal tissue connect the scales of rattlesnakes. When ingesting large prey, these creases can unfold, allowing

7224-407: The victim saw the snake, yet made no effort to move away. Harassing or attacking a rattlesnake, illegal in some jurisdictions, puts one at much higher risk of a bite. Rattlesnakes seek to avoid humans and other predators or large herbivores that themselves pose lethal danger. Dogs , often much more aggressive than humans, are much more likely to experience a snakebite, and are more likely to die of

7310-534: The water source. In larger bodies of water ( streams , ponds , etc.), they submerge their heads and ingest water by opening and closing their jaws, which sucks in water. If drinking dew or small puddles, they sip the liquid either by capillary action or by flattening and flooding their lower jaws. Newborn rattlesnakes are heavily preyed upon by a variety of species, including cats , ravens , crows , roadrunners , raccoons , opossums , skunks , coyotes , weasels , whipsnakes , kingsnakes , and racers . Young of

7396-719: Was likely Étienne Brûlé , who at age less than 20, in 1610 was sent to live as an interpreter trainee with the Onontchataronon , an Algonquian people of the Ottawa River . They travelled every winter to live with the Arendarhonon people of the Huron-Wendat Nation at the southern end of Georgian Bay, in the area now called Huronia . Brulé returned to the Arendarhonon the following year. At

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