| Globally Rare Species Supported by the Shiawassee River Watershed |
Eastern Massasauga Rattlesnake
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Massasaugas are small snakes with thick bodies, heart-shaped heads and vertical pupils. The average length of an adult is about 2 feet. Adult massasaugas are gray or light brown with large, light-edged chocolate brown blotches on the back and smaller blotches on the sides.
| Massasaugas live in wet areas including wet prairies, marshes and low areas along rivers and lakes. Massasaugas depend on wetlands for food and shelter however the draining of wetlands for farms, roads, homes, and urban development has eliminated much of the massasauga habitat in many states. The eastern massasauga rattlesnake is a Federal candidate species which allows them to be considered endangered or threatnened.
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| Photo by Nancy Dickson |
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The body of Indiana bats is medium-sized, about the same size as a mouse. The length of the bat's head and body ranges from 1.5 to 2 inches, and it weighs about 1/4 of an ounce. Their fur varies from black to light brown but overall their color is a dull gray.
| They generally live in streamside or forested floodplains under the loose bark of trees, however when hibernate during the winter months they prefer caves or abandoned mines with temperatures averaging 38 to 43 degrees F. Indiana bats rarely have to fear predators but their biggest threat is habitat destruction by humans. In the wild Indiana bats can live to be 14 years old.The Indiana bat is listed as an endangered species by the United States Fish and Wildlife Service. Less than 400,000 of these bats remain in the United States.
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The Blanding's turtle is a threatened specie whose population has become limited due to the draining of natural wetlands for suburban development and farming. It is medium-sized and can be easily identified by the bright yellow underside of its neck.
| Its head, tail, and limbs are blue-black, while the underside of its shell is yellow, with brown or black splotches, andare hinged and its upper shell is usually black speckled with yellow, or horn colored and mottled with brown. The Blanding's turtle is considered semi-aquatic because it prefers open, grassy marshes containing shallow water, but it will occasionally move to ground adjacent to water in order to forage or bask in the sun. The Blanding’s is also known to feed both in the water and on land. During the winter, they hibernate by burying themselves in the bottom of the pond, bay, or river they inhabit. Blanding's turtles require 15 to 20 years to mature.
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