Spend World Snake Day with our Reptile of the Month – the eastern massasauga rattlesnake! Native to the wetlands and adjacent uplands of Michigan, massasaugas are the only venomous snakes in the state. Their distinctive skin pattern helps them blend in with their surroundings, allowing them to avoid predators and stay hidden when hunting. Massasaugas prey on small mammals and birds that they can detect with heat-sensing pits, which are specialized organs, on their heads. It is very unlikely for humans to encounter a massasauga in the wild. They are a shy and docile species and will not strike humans unless provoked. Massasaugas are listed as a threatened species due to habitat loss and every year zookeepers from the Detroit Zoo participate in a survey to monitor wild populations. #DetroitZoo #WorldSnakeDay #Michigan #Snake #Massasauga