This spring, the Michigan Department of Natural Resources put out the call for people to report the herptiles – reptiles and amphibians – that they observe across the state. The request is part of an atlas project, designed to monitor the presence and distribution of “herps” across the state.

“It’s for all species, common or rare,” said Lori Sargent, a DNR wildlife biologist who keeps track of Michigan’s herptiles. “The other day I got a call about a spotted turtle (a threatened species) in an area where they’d never been spotted before.

“There are not a lot of people working on herps, even at universities,” she continued. “They’re not a game species. They’re not high-profile.”

While herps don’t usually evoke the same warm and fuzzy emotions folks often express about other wildlife, there’s one group of herptiles – snakes – that brings out the opposite reaction. Snakes have gotten a bad rap ever since Adam and Eve and that apple, and it doesn’t seem to have changed since.

“We’re hearing of more of kids who are afraid of snakes,” Sargent said. “Maybe this will help educate people that snakes are valuable at both ends of the food chain. They keep rodent populations in check. They’re important. And they’re cool.

“I get pictures of a dead snake with a note – what kind is it? People are so quick to kill them and then identify them. What did snakes ever do to you? They’re mostly harmless.” Read more

The Michigan Duck Hunters Association, in cooperation with the Michigan Department of Natural Resources, introduces the 2015 collector-edition Michigan duck stamp and prints.

The Michigan Waterfowl Stamp Program, established in 1976, has become an icon for waterfowl hunters and wetland conservation enthusiasts. During the past 39 years, the program has gained popularity with collectors and conservation groups throughout the United States.

The Michigan Duck Hunters Association, a nonprofit organization dedicated to waterfowl and wetland conservation, coordinates the stamp program in partnership with the DNR. Proceeds from stamp sales will be used to fund Michigan Duck Hunters Association projects, with 10 percent used to match DNR funding for purchasing, restoring and enhancing wetlands. Read more

The Kirtland’s warbler is one of the rarest members of the wood warbler family. The only places on Earth it currently nests are mainly in Michigan’s northern Lower and Upper peninsulas, and a few locations in Wisconsin and the province of Ontario.

In northern Michigan, June 6-20 is a special time, when dozens of surveyors are in large jack pine forests listening for the unique song of the male Kirtland’s warbler.

“We have a great group of DNR, U.S. Forest Service and U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service staff members, as well as volunteers, who are trudging through young, thick jack pine in the early morning hours,” said Department of Natural Resources wildlife supervisor Keith Kintigh. “The reward is getting to hear that singing male Kirtland’s warbler, which is the way we actually census the population.” Read more

Since the discovery in May of a free-ranging deer infected with chronic wasting disease in Ingham County, Michigan, the state’s Department of Natural Resources has been hard at work sampling deer from the immediate area for additional signs of the disease and putting into effect emergency precautions to prevent as much as possible spread of the disease.

So far, no additional infected animals have been found. 

Chronic wasting disease is an unusual neurological disorder that affects members of the deer family. CWD is caused by prions – mutating proteins in the animal’s nervous system – not a bacteria or virus. A form of transmissible spongiform encephalopathy, similar to mad cow disease, CWD causes lesions in the brain. Infected animals exhibit uncharacteristic behavior – they lose their fear of humans, for instance – and gradually waste away. CWD has never been shown to cause illness in humans. 

The infected animal in Ingham County showed classic symptoms, said DNR veterinarian Steve Schmitt. 

“The animal was found in a subdivision in Meridian Township showing neurological symptoms, standing there, letting people approach it,” Schmitt said. “And it was thin.” 

Meridian Township police dispatched the animal and turned it over to the DNR, where it tested positive for CWD. Further testing at the U.S. Department of Agriculture’s National Veterinary Services Laboratory confirmed that the animal was infected. 

The DNR went right to work.  Read more

This time of year, as snakes are out and about in the great outdoors, the Department of Natural Resources gets many questions about Michigan’s snakes. Michigan is home to 18 different species of snakes, 17 of which are harmless to humans. T

here are two that are very similar and often cause a stir when people encounter them. Eastern hognose snakes, when threatened, puff up with air, flatten their necks and bodies, and hiss loudly. (This has led to local names like “puff adder” or “hissing viper.”) If this act is unsuccessful in deterring predators, the snakes will writhe about, excrete a foul-smelling musk and then turn over with mouth agape and lie still, as though dead. Despite this intimidating behavior, hog-nosed snakes are harmless to humans.

The eastern massasauga rattlesnake, the only venomous snake species found in Michigan, is quite rare and protected as a species of special concern due to declining populations from habitat loss. As the name implies, the massasauga rattlesnake does have a segmented rattle on its tail. It should not be confused with the other harmless species of snake in Michigan that do not have segmented rattles but also will buzz their tails if approached or handled.

Eastern massasauga rattlesnakes are shy creatures that avoid humans whenever possible. Also known as “swamp rattlers,” they spend the vast majority of their time in year-round wetlands hunting their primary prey, mice. When encountered, if the snake doesn’t feel threatened, it will let people pass without revealing its location. If humans do get too close, a rattlesnake will generally warn of its presence by rattling its tail while people are still several feet away. If given room, the snake will slither away into nearby brush.

Rattlesnake bites, while extremely rare in Michigan (fewer than one per year), can and do occur. Anyone who is bitten should seek medical attention immediately. To learn more about the massasauga and for more snake safety tips, visit http://mnfi.anr.msu.edu/emr/index.cfm. Read more