Baby Snakes: Lincoln Park Zoo Welcomes Baby Rattlesnakes To The Family

By Chuck Sudo in Arts & Entertainment on Jun 24, 2014 9:55PM

Lincoln Park Zoo marked another milestone in animal husbandry last week with the birth of 13 eastern massasauga rattlesnakes, which are an endangered species in Illinois. The litter was born June 20 and with their tiny rattles could probably lull themselves to sleep.

The newest arrivals to Lincoln Park Zoo’s menagerie of animals was the result of a Species Survival Plan that began in 2009 when zoo officials located the last remaining rattlesnakes in the greater Chicago area and, with the help of the Illinois Department of Natural Resources, Cook County Forest Preserve District and U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service, brought them to the zoo for protection from predators and habitat loss.

Eastern massasauga rattlesnakes can reach lengths of up to 30 inches and are noted for their dark saddles, unique coloration and, naturally, the “rattles” on their tales. The snakes prefer to live in moist landscapes including the wetlands Chicago was built upon, and can be found throughout the Midwest to New York state and Ontario. Zoo curator Diane Mulkerin said the baby snakes, when fully coiled, are the size of a quarter and are already independent of their mother.

The litter joins eight other massasauga at Lincoln Park Zoo.