3) Massasauga 

The massasauga snake is tiny, and it makes it all the more difficult to spot. This rattler is on the endangered species list in some states, so you’re less likely to come across one.

However, if you were lucky enough to “meet” this snake you should know it is small yet deadly. The venom from this snake is extremely toxic, so if you got bit, you would need help immediately.

The Eastern Massasauga is listed as an endangered species in Illinois, Indiana, Iowa, Minnesota, Missouri (also considered extirpated), New York, Ohio, Pennsylvania and Wisconsin. Michigan, the only state in which it is not considered endangered, lists it as “special concern.”

MASSASAUGA (Sistrurus catenatus). Length 24-27 inches. This snake belongs to a group of small rattlesnakes called “ground” or “pygmy” rattlers, which are differentiated from the larger rattlers by having paired scales on top of the head, as have the copperhead, cottonmouth, and non-poisonous snakes. The massasauga occurs in open fields and rocky outcroppings. It is particularly common in the Flint Hills. This is the “prairie rattler” of eastern Kansas, often found under hay bales in fields. Its food consists primarily of small rodents. The small size and usually docile disposition of this snake tend to place it upon the nondangerous list, but its venom is extremely toxic, and any bite from a poisonous snake is dangerous. When aroused, these small snakes strike with a fury not seen in the larger snakes. The rattling of this small snake is hardly louder than the buzz of a grasshopper.