In the book Venomous reptiles of North America, published in 1992 by the Smithsonian Institution Press. A chapter can be found called Massasauga, Sistrurus catenatus. Massasauga is a type of snake that is native to the western Pennsylvania area. This chapter focuses on their habitat, their behavior, and how they reproduce.
This pit viper is found in moist habitats, such as bogs, marshes, wet meadows, swamps, or seasonally moist grassland. As spring and fall comes around, in western Pennsylvania, massasuaga's inhabit in low, badly drained areas, but in the summers months they inhabit in sparse vegetation and waterless soil.
The massasauga's winter hibernation is primarily spent in the crevices of rocks, other small rodent's burrows, rotten tree stumps and in old logs. The massasauga is able to maintain a temperature above the encircling temperature for close to forty-five minutes and can tolerate freezing body temperatures for small periods of time without significant damage. Also massasaugas are outstanding swimmers and enter water frequently.
Many reports they were published, show that the time of reproduction primarily is between March and November. At the time of birth, young massasauga's weigh about 8-10 grams and are 140-252 milimeters in length.
The group of snakes called massasaugas's are native to western Pennsylvania and are very unique in the way that they live. They also have many interesting qualities that make massasauga's a great topic of study.

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