Speaker: Mike Redmer
Where did Waldo Go? The eastern massasauga rattlesnake as a federally threatened species.

Throughout much of its historic range in the Great Lakes and Upper Midwest, the eastern massasauga rattlesnake is the only venomous species present. After a long period of being a species of conservation concern, it became a federally threatened species in the United States beginning in 2016. This talk will include historical background on the species, and discuss how the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service evaluated the species before the decision to list it as threatened was made. Some of the steps to help recover the species throughout its range will be discussed, as will a brief/generalized history of the eastern massasauga in Illinois.

Mike Redmer is a senior Biologist at the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service’s Chicago Field Office, where (among other responsibilities) he serves as the national lead biologist for the eastern massasauga rattlesnake. Mike has been a member of CHS since 1978, and has been a speaker several times in the past (but the most recent was a really long time ago).

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The regular monthly meetings of the Chicago Herpetological Society take place at the Peggy Notebaert Nature Museum at the corner of Fullerton Parkway and Cannon Drive, across from Lincoln Park Zoo. The address is 2430 N Cannon Dr, Chicago, IL 60614

Free parking is available on Cannon Drive and also across Fullerton in the Lincoln Park Zoo lots (these lots may charge during the summer months). There are also CTA bus stops within easy walking distance.

The meeting will begin promptly at 7:30pm, and typically lasts until 9:30.

Meetings are free and open to the public. Enter thru the Main Museum Entrance, if the doors are locked please wait for the security guard to return and open them for you.

Raffle: There is a reptile supply raffle at our meetings. Examples of items in the raffle are Dry Foods, Glass tanks, Cages, Lights, Hides, Bedding, Artwork. Tickets are $1 each (cash only).

Library : We have a large library of reptile books which can be browsed during the meeting, members can also check the books out until the next meeting.