Massasauga Rattlesnake

& The Trout

FamilyBy: Kelsey Fleck

Massasauga Rattlesnake

Appearance The adults are about 45-75 cm in length Grey or tan ground color Has a rattle at the end of its tail that it

shakes, basically to say “back off” Small holes on each side of its face to see

in the dark Young massasauga rattlesnakes are paler

Habitat Found in Southwestern Ontario,

Georgian Bay, Bruce Peninsula and Southeastern Niagara Peninsula.

Prefers swamps and marshes to grasslands

Hibernates deep underground in rock caves, roots or animal holes where it spends its winters

The Trout Family

The 4 predominate types of trout found in Ontario are theRainbow Trout, Brook Trout, Brown Trout and the Lake Trout.

Rainbow Trout Habitat: Moderate size rivers with flow and

gravel bottoms. Deep cool lakes. Food: Their main diet consists of Insects,

fish eggs and smaller fish Appearance: They are torpedo shaped and

are generally blue, green and yellow in color with a pink streak down the sides of their bodies. They have white underbellies with black spots on their back and fins.

Rainbow Trout

Brook Trout Habitat: They are found in North

America in small streams, creeks, lakes and spring ponds.

Food: They feed on aquatic and terrestrial insects, smaller fish and sometimes crayfish.

Appearance: It is green-brown basic coloration with a marbled pattern. The belly and lower fins are a distinct red and their fins are outlined with white.

Brook Trout

Brown Trout Habitat: They tend to live in cool rivers and

lakes, and they usually hide in undercut banks, stream debris and under rocks

Food: The young ones feed on insects mostly and as they get older they feed on other fish and animals that fall into the lake, birds and mice

Appearance: Olive green to a dark brown back, Silver-yellowish sides and yellow-whitish bellies

Brown Trout

Lake Trout Habitat: They thrive in cold waters and the

deeper the water is the better. The young mostly hide in rocky shoals or sandbars

Diet: The young feed on small water bugs, crayfish and freshwater shrimp. Adults feed on small white fish, sculpins and minnows

Appearance: The body is usually a white or yellowish spots on a dark green to grayish background, sometimes the two bottom fins have a yellow-orangish tint to them

Lake Trout