Massasauga rattlesnakes in Grey-Bruce: How to stay safe, and what to do if you're bitten

The Eastern Massasauga is Ontario's only venomous snake, and the Bruce Peninsula is one of the places it lives, according to the Ontario government. Bites are rare. The province says no one has died from a Massasauga bite in Ontario in more than 50 years.

Parks Canada says the snake is active on the Bruce Peninsula "from early spring until late fall." The province says snakes are most active between May and October, so you may still see one on a warm fall day.

How to recognize one

According to Bruce Peninsula National Park and the province:

• It's 50 to 70 cm long, about the length of your arm, with a thick body.
• It's grey to dark brown, with saddle-shaped blotches down the back and alternating blotches on the sides.
• It has a blunt tail that usually ends in a rattle. The rattle makes a buzzing sound, but it can fall off and may be hard to see on young snakes.
• The province says it is the only Ontario snake with a vertical, cat-like pupil.

Some harmless snakes, including the Eastern foxsnake and Eastern milksnake, also vibrate their tails and can make a buzzing sound in dry leaves, the province says.

How to avoid a bite

From Parks Canada and the Ontario Poison Centre:

• Wear hiking boots that cover your ankles and long, loose pants, especially in open rocky areas, brush, wetlands or long grass.
• Stay on trails, and don't reach or step into places you can't see.
• Use a flashlight at night.
• If you hear a rattle, stay calm, stop, work out where the snake is, and slowly move away.
• Keep pets on a leash.
• Never pick up, chase or harass a snake. The province and Parks Canada note that it's illegal to harm or kill these snakes. Grey Bruce Public Health also advises enjoying all wildlife from a distance.

The Ontario Poison Centre suggests having an emergency plan before you hike where rattlesnakes live: know how to reach emergency services and how to get to the nearest hospital.

If you're bitten

Call 911. Each source puts it slightly differently:

• Parks Canada (Bruce Peninsula National Park): "If you are bitten by a Massasauga, you should always call 911, wash and cleanse the wound, and reduce movement until help arrives." (source) The park's wildlife safety page adds: "Stay calm and call 911," and "Reduce activity and sit or lay down while waiting for help to arrive." (source)
• Ontario Poison Centre: If you think you or someone you know has been bitten by an Eastern Massasauga Rattlesnake, the Poison Centre says to "go to hospital by ambulance." For a bite from an unknown or non-venomous snake, it advises: remain calm; "Call 911. Rest and wait for instructions"; move as little as possible; wash the bite area with soap and water if possible; remove jewelry or anything tight from the bitten limb; immobilize the limb; call the Ontario Poison Centre right away; and check whether you need a tetanus shot. (source)
• Ontario government: "If you are bitten by a rattlesnake, get medical help immediately" and call the Poison Control Centre at 1-800-268-9017. The province also advises keeping the person calm and restricting movement, keeping the bitten area below heart level, washing the bite with soap and water, removing rings or anything tight because the area will swell, covering the bite with a clean, moist dressing, and treating for shock: "keep the victim quiet and maintain body temperature," using a blanket if they're cold or fanning if they're hot. (source)

Ontario Poison Centre: 1-800-268-9017 (toll-free)

What not to do

Parks Canada says: "Do not apply a tourniquet, ice, cut or suction the wound," and "Do not attempt to catch or harm the snake. It is dangerous and illegal."

The Ontario Poison Centre gives the same warnings: don't apply a tourniquet, ice, or cut or suck the bite, and don't try to catch or kill the snake. It also says:

• Don't apply anything tight.
• Don't take pain medicine containing aspirin or ibuprofen.

"Complications from Massasauga bites are rare," Parks Canada says. The Ontario Poison Centre notes there's a chance no venom was injected at all.

Your turn

Seen a Massasauga on the Bruce? Tell us where (roughly) at news@chatsworthbanner.ca. Please don't get close for a photo.