Pygmy rattlesnake research continues

The Tennessee Wildlife Resources Agency is once again assisting wildlife biologists at Tennessee State University in research to determine the distribution of pygmy rattlesnakes in Tennessee.

The pygmy rattlesnake is listed as a threatened species in the state, and the research will help in species conservation efforts, according to a news release.

Native to Tennessee, pygmy rattlesnakes are predators that are rarely encountered and play important ecological roles, including the control of rodent populations. These tiny snakes, seldom seen by humans, will rattle their tails when threatened, but bites are extremely rare and non-fatal if treatment is administered.

To aid their research, the TSU wildlife biologists are asking anyone who happens to encounter a pygmy rattlesnake to document the location with a photograph and to make sure the phone’s GPS location is turned on, the news release states. (For most phones and some cameras it is located in settings under privacy.) This will provide GPS coordinates of the photo to document the exact location.

Previous pygmy rattlesnake sightings, along with photographs, also can be reported with specific location data and the date of the sighting. People are reminded not to harass or attempt to capture the snakes.

Pygmy rattlesnake sightings and information may be reported to one of the following biologists: Shawn Snyder at ssnyder1@my.tnstate.edu or 717-683-4226, or Bill Sutton at wsutton@tnstate.edu or 615-963-7787. Funding for the project is being provided by the TWRA through state and tribal wildlife grants.