COLUMBUS, Ohio (WCMH) — An annual snake survey in Ohio yielded a surprising find: a native but rarely seen venomous rattlesnake. 

In May, an Ohio Department of Natural Resources officer found an eastern massasauga rattlesnake in Wyandot County, which sits between Marion and Tiffin, according to Herpetologist Doug Wynn, who works closely with the department. Officials captured the snake to take its measurements then released it back into the wild. 

Also known as the “swamp rattler” and “black snapper,” the snake is most often gray or light brown, but can be black. An average sized adult is between one to two feet long, and the snake’s most defining quality is its small but conspicuous rattle. 

The snake is venomous, but a typical bite does not deliver a large enough quantity to be fatal to a healthy adult. Known to be shy and elusive, the snake usually makes little or no attempt to bite unless thoroughly provoked, according to ODNR. Their diet mostly consists of small rodents, but they may also eat frogs and other snakes. 

The eastern massasauga rattlesnake can be found in the northern Midwest states and Ontario. But the snake has become “increasingly rare” in Ohio, according to Ohio State University. The snake is mostly found in the northeast part of the state, Wynn said.

“It is state endangered and federally threatened; therefore, their numbers are declining at a fast enough rate for protection,” said ODNR Wildlife Education Coordinator Abby Ditomassi.

The significant reduction to the snake’s population is due to extensive farming, according to OSU. The name massasauga is from the Chippewa Indian language and refers to the marshy areas associated with the mouth of a river – multiple massasauga colonies continue to exist in bogs, swamps and wet prairies in Ohio. 

The rattler was historically recorded in 30 Ohio counties but has only been seen in nine since 1976, according to the Ohio Division of Wildlife. One of the nine counties with sightings includes Licking County, but Wynn said the snake’s last confirmed sighting there was in 1992. 

“Their preference for wet prairies, marshes and fens are what would make it less likely for you to encounter them in your daily life,” Ditomassi said. 

Although a massasauga bite is not typically fatal, the ODNR warns the snake has highly toxic venom and should be treated with caution. An eastern massasauga rattlesnake bite would warrant a trip to the hospital, Ditomassi said. 

“If you encounter a massasauga you should know that it may stay still hoping to rely on camouflage to avoid detection,” Ditomassi said. “If the threat does not pass, individuals often raise their head and twitch it up and down while waiving or rattling their tail, followed by a rapid attempt to flee. Never attempt to kill or move a rattlesnake as most venomous snake bites occur on the hand.”

The massasauga is one of three venomous snakes in Ohio, accompanied by the eastern copperhead and timber rattlesnake. Ohioans may report a sighting of the eastern massasauga rattlesnake to the Ohio Division of Wildlife.