Rustlin' Snakes in Chicago

By Marcus Gilmer in News on Apr 30, 2009 5:20PM

It seems that one of the varieties of wildlife in the city is dwindling and a new program is hoping to change that. The eastern massasauga rattlesnake has seen its number in the area dwindle to the point of being declared endangered in the state. So, members of the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service and Illinois Department of Natural Resources are gathering as many as possible for a breeding program at the Lincoln Park Zoo. Lincoln Park Zoo biologist Joanne Earnhardt tells the Trib the snakes have non-lethal venom and are generally shy. [Tribune via Gapers]