There are three kinds of snakes on the Prairie.  The Bull Snake, the Massasauga, and the Rattlesnake.

     The Bull Snakes a harmless snake. They prey on rodents that wipe out crops.  The snake is a controlling constrictor.  When made mad it vibrates its tail quickly.  The Bull Snake has a dull brown with dark spots and can grow to be 1.5 to2.4meters.  They are almost the biggest snakes in North America. 

     The Massasauga is a small Rattlesnake found from Arizona, northern Mexico, to New York, Pennsylvania, and southern Canada. Adults can grow to about 30 inches long.  The Massasauga has gray or brown, with dimmer spots on it’s back.  Massasaugas eat rodents, lizards, centipedes, frogs, and sometimes birds.  In the late summer, they give birth to small litters of baby snakes.  The Massassaugas are endangered.

    The Rattlesnake is a venomous snake with a rattle at the end of its tail.  It shakes it’s tail vigorously to warn off trespassers.  It has two venom glands, one on each cheek.  Rattlesnakes feed primarily on little mammals and reptiles.