Animal Division: Individual Conservation and Research Projects

Rattlesnakes

The Wisconsin Rattlesnake Hotline provides Wisconsin property owners with an alternative to killing unwanted rattlesnakes.   Rattlesnakes are moved a short distance from the capture site and released.   This allows for positive interactions and educational opportunities for herpetologists and general public alike.   This is a cooperative project with the Wisconsin DNR and the Milwaukee Public Museum.

Rattlesnakes obtained through the Wisconsin Rattlesnake Hotline are implanted with radio transmitters if their den site is unknown.   New den sites are located each fall.   This provides the Wisconsin DNR with information that may dictate land management or acquisition decisions by the state of Wisconsin.   This is a cooperative study with the Wisconsin DNR.

Since 1993, the Milwaukee County Zoo has been marking prairie snake species for population studies at several sites in Wisconsin.   Species studied include timber rattlesnakes, bullsnakes, black rat snakes and racers.   In 2002, an intensive study of one timber rattlesnake den was initiated.   This involved building a "snake trap" to capture all of the snakes within the den.   Over time, this information will produce a detailed picture of the age structure of a snake community in Wisconsin.