The female Massasauga gives birth to 8-20 young in late summer. The newborn rattlesnake has a single "button" on its tail, a new rattle segment is added at each shedding of the skin which occurs several times a year.
The Massasauga Rattlesnake is found throughout the Lower Peninsula, including the Platte River Watershed, but not in the Upper Peninsula (therefore there are no poisonous snakes in the U.P. mainland.) They are becoming rare in many parts of their former range, due to habitat loss and persecution by humans.
There are no recorded human deaths in Michigan caused by the Massasauga Rattlesnake. It is a shy and retiring species of snake that is an effective predator of rodent populations.
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