Status of the Eastern Massasauga Rattlesnake at Indiana Dunes National Lakeshore
Glowacki G and Grundel R. 2009. Status of the Eastern Massasauga Rattlesnake at Indiana Dunes National Lakeshore. Natural Resource Technical Report. NPS/GLKN/NRTR—2009/158. Natural Resource Program Center. Fort Collins, Colorado
The eastern massasauga rattlesnake (Sistrurus catenatus catenatus) is listed as threatened or endangered in ten of the eleven states and provinces in which it currently is found. Records suggest that the eastern massasauga was frequently encountered in the vicinity of present-day Indiana Dunes National Lakeshore (INDU) until the 1930s. Since establishment of INDU in 1966, confirmed massasauga sightings within the park’s vicinity have been rare and no confirmed sightings were made within the official boundary of the park. To examine the current status of the eastern massasauga rattlesnake at INDU, both active searching and passive collection were used. A three-phase survey process, including visual searching, drift fencing, and the use of artificial cover objects, was employed to search for the massasauga within INDU. The objective of the surveys was to document presence of massasaugas at sites within Indiana Dunes National Lakeshore where the snakes were thought most likely to occur. Visual searching, drift fencing, and artificial cover objects yielded twenty-three species of amphibians and reptiles. Among these were nine frog and toad, five salamander, two turtle, one lizard, and six snake species. One eastern massasauga rattlesnake was captured in a drift fence. Within INDU, a combination of fire suppression in upland areas and the draining of the Great Marsh have led to an influx of woody vegetation in both upland and wetland areas. This has significantly limited open habitats within the East Unit of INDU. While the surveys have established that an individual S. c. catenatus exists within the boundary of Indiana Dunes National Lakeshore, further monitoring is needed to determine the snake’s status, to further identify critical habitat, and to provide park managers with the information necessary to properly insure the long-term survival of the species at INDU.
- Type
- Published Report
- Authors
- Glowacki, Gary; Grundel, Ralph
- Date of Issue
- 2009-01-12
- Publisher
- Natural Resource Program Center
- Units
- GLKN , INDU , NRSS
- Keywords
- Absence (Biodiversity), Abundance (Biodiversity), GLKN General, Indiana, Indiana Dunes National Lakeshore, Massasauga Rattlesnake, Observations, Presence (Biodiversity), Reptile, Sistrurus catenatus