Michigan Herp Trips
Herping Trip Reports from Across the Country
May 2, 2008: A Morning Walk in the Fen
I've been going to my rattlesnake spot for a couple of years now and I feel that I know the area pretty well. But this morning, I found a new section of fen that I had not seen before. It looked very similar to some of the areas I had seen in Indiana a few weeks back with Todd & Andrew while on a rattlesnake trip. The large tufts of grass looked perfect for snakes to sun on and serve as shelter during the heat of the day as well. I was very interested to see if this new area could be a good hot spot at my Sauga site which already is very good and produces regularly. So I set in to the fen for a nice morning walk around 10 AM.
The New Section of Fen
After only a few minutes, I spotted a very attractive Butler's Garter Snake sunning itself, one of the best looking butleri I've seen.
Butler's Garter Snake - Thamnophis butleri
Not long after photographing the Butler's, the clouds covered the sunshine and ended any chances of snakes to be sunning. But the weather was still warm, so the snakes would still be in the fen. Within ten minutes of the Butler's, I saw a gorgeous little snake coiled next to some tufts of grass.
Eastern Massasauga Rattlesnake in situ
The snake was a nice looking little male, probably around 15 inches in length. This snake was really fired and bitey, it took a long time to get him to calm down and position him for photos.
Eastern Massasauga Rattlesnake - Sistrurus catenatus catenatus
I gave my dad a call so he could come see the snake since he has not seen one this year yet, so he came over to grab some quick shots.
After some photos, I moved the little fella back to where I found him and let him be on his way. This snake was the fourth Massasauga I've got this year and things look good for seeing them in the coming months. I always enjoy spending time with my favorite herp.
Species Observed:
- Butler's Garter Snake
- Eastern Massasauga Rattlesnake