Herpetofauna - One Life's List

Western Massasauga
Sistrurus catenatus tergeminus

Barton Co., Kansas.  May 20, 2004
 
The Western Massasauga was one of my target species on a recent trip to Kansas.  Sometimes things just work out - this snake was out sunning on a gravel road in the mid-morning sun.  It was a fair-sized specimen, approaching two feet in length.

I could not help but compare this tergeminus to the Eastern Massasauga back home in Illinois.  The ground color of this western subspecies was paler, and it lacked the shades of light and dark grays found on the Eastern Massassauga.  Colored to match the hues of Kansas, and none the less beautiful for it.

This snake is featured in the fifth day entry of my Five Days In Kansas herp journal.
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