Here's where you're most likely to encounter Ontario's only venomous rattlesnake

Summer is heating up, and so is the activity of Ontario's only venomous snake: the elusive Eastern Massasauga.

It's the only rattlesnake species in the province, and the only snake here that can deliver a serious venomous bite, and it's back on the move, so you might want to watch where you're stepping the next time you're exploring the great outdoors.

I'll admit it. I hate snakes. Listen, if I could confidently throw one over my shoulders as confidently as Britney Spears circa 2001, I would. But unfortunately, I am far too much of a scaredy-cat. And if these slithering little things freak you out, too, you may want to stay alert because sightings of this particular critter tend to pick up this time of year. 

Snake sightings typically peak between June and September, according to the biodiversity platform iNaturalist.

The name "Massasauga" comes from the Ojibwa word meaning "great river mouth,” a nod to the snake's preference for wetlands and shorelines (more on that in a bit). 

The Massasauga is described as having a stout body that usually grows between 50 and 70 centimetres long. Its body ranges from grey to dark brown, with darker brown "butterfly" or "saddle-shaped" blotches running down its back and its sides.

It's also the only Ontario snake with vertical, cat-like pupils. Although something tells me most of you are not willing to get close enough to notice, anyway.

While the Massasauga is often called "Ontario's only venomous snake", there is technically one other mildly venomous species: the Eastern Hog-nosed Snake. The Massasauga is, however, the only rattlesnake found in Ontario and the only native snake in the province capable of delivering a venomous bite serious enough to potentially kill a human.

But apparently, the snake isn't looking to pick a fight. According to Wildlife Preservation Canada (WPC), the Massasauga is generally shy and reclusive (wait, maybe I can get along with snakes after all) and "can bite in self-defence if they feel threatened."

Gerald A. DeBoer/Shutterstock

Snake bites are rare in Ontario, with fewer than a dozen reported each year, WPC says. Bites require immediate medical attention, but there have only been two known fatalities in the province from a Massasauga bite, and no known deaths in the last four decades. Phew!

Where are you most likely to find a snake?

According to the Ontario government, the Eastern Massasauga can be found in a variety of habitats, including wetlands, marshes, shorelines, forests, tall grass prairies and rocky areas known as alvars.

Since they are only found in Ontario, the largest populations of these rattlesnakes live along the eastern shore of Georgian Bay and the Bruce Peninsula. Some can also be found in the Wainfleet Bog near Lake Erie and in the Ojibway Prairie area near Windsor, according to WPC.

iNaturalist

Ontario residents have also reported sightings on iNaturalist in Parry Sound, Muskoka and Lake Huron this month.

It used to have a much larger footprint in Ontario, especially around the Great Lakes, but habitat loss, road-related deaths, and human attacks have caused it to gradually disappear from many of the places it once called home.

If you're exploring Ontario's cottage country or the hiking trails near the Great Lakes, keep your eyes peeled to the ground because you might just come across these venomous creatures.