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Threatened Desert Massasauga Rattlesnake in Chaco Canyon
The
Desert Massasauga Rattlesnake was once common from northern
Mexico to eastern Colorado. Its population has experienced
a dramatic decline due to habitat loss and fragmentation
from development, overgrazing by livestock, and outright
killing by fearful people. Many are lost during events
like "rattlesnake roundups" - where thousands
of snakes are killed in a single day for prizes and a
misguided idea of fun. Some people even like to keep them
as pets, depriving the ecosystem of an integral link in
the chain of desert life. I was glad to have my zoom lens
for this portrait!
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