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Deadly rattlesnakes strike cottagers in
Georgian Bay: Six reports this summer:[Final Edition] |
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Author(s): |
Stephanie
Cesca |
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Article
types: |
News |
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Dateline: |
TORONTO |
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Section: |
News |
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Publication
title: |
The
Ottawa Citizen. Ottawa, Ont.: Aug 12, 2002. pg. A.5 |
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Source
Type: |
Newspaper |
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ISSN/ISBN: |
08393222 |
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ProQuest
document ID: |
237061111 |
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Text
Word Count |
355 |
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Article
URL: |
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Abstract (Article Summary) |
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John Birnbaum,
executive director of the Georgian Bay Association, an umbrella organization
that represents 4,500 families, said six people in and around the area have
been bitten this summer by the Massasauga rattlesnake, the only poisonous
snake in Ontario. Currently,
there are only four areas of habitat for the Massasauga, considered a
threatened species in Ontario. The small and slow-moving snake known to spend
most of its life alone and in hiding can be found in two large areas around
Georgian Bay, as well as in Windsor and Port Colborne. Photo: The
Massasauga rattler is a small, but deadly, snake that normally spends most of
its time in hiding and is now a threatened species in Ontario. ; |
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Full Text (355 words) |
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(Copyright The Ottawa Citizen 2002) TORONTO --
Cottagers and residents of the Georgian Bay area are being urged to take
extra care when outdoors this summer after six people were bitten by
potentially deadly rattlesnakes. John Birnbaum,
executive director of the Georgian Bay Association, an umbrella organization
that represents 4,500 families, said six people in and around the area have
been bitten this summer by the Massasauga rattlesnake, the only poisonous
snake in Ontario. "We are
tracking six reported bites in the area this year. As bites are up, obviously
people should take care," Mr. Birnbaum said, noting that normally only
one or two people are bitten each summer by the brown-and-grey rattlesnake
that grows up to a metre long. Kent Prior, a
species-at-risk adviser with Environment Canada, said the increase in bites
could be attributed to two possible reasons: either the snakes are more
active this summer, given the hot and dry weather, or there's been a jump in
the reptile's population. "My sense
is that it's probably a combination of (those reasons)," Mr. Prior said. Currently,
there are only four areas of habitat for the Massasauga, considered a
threatened species in Ontario. The small and slow-moving snake known to spend
most of its life alone and in hiding can be found in two large areas around
Georgian Bay, as well as in Windsor and Port Colborne. The population
of the snake, estimated to be somewhere in the thousands, has suffered a
steady decline and is believed to have decreased by about 60 per cent within
the last decade. The main
contributor to this drop, Mr. Prior says, is increased development and a
depletion of the type of rocky, open areas and wetlands the snake likes to
live in during the summer and hibernation months respectively. Although bites
may be up this summer, Mr. Prior said it's unusual for the snake to show any
aggression, as it's known for being quite timid. "They're
not aggressive and not typically dangerous," he said.
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