massasauga

noun

mas·sa·sau·ga | \ ˌma-sə-ˈsȯ-gə

Definition of massasauga

: a small North American rattlesnake (Sistrurus catenatus)

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Pennsylvania is also home to a smaller venomous rattlesnake called the massasauga, which is rare and found in only a few western counties. — Jason Nark, Philly.com, "Venomous passion: Pennsylvania's snake hunters head to the hills," 20 June 2018 The app includes forms for reporting observations on: Diseased wildlife Tagged fish Mammals such as cougars and feral swine Fish such as sturgeon Birds such as wild turkeys Reptiles and amphibians such as eastern massasauga rattlesnakes. — Detroit Free Press Staff, Detroit Free Press, "See a wild hog? Now there's an app to report it," 8 Aug. 2017 Jennifer Moore and her research team at the Pierce Cedar Creek Institute in Hastings, Michigan, are creating a longer-term data set to examine the implication of the disease on eastern massasauga rattlesnakes. — Hannah Lang, National Geographic, "Mysterious Disease Attacks Rattlesnakes," 12 June 2017

These example sentences are selected automatically from various online news sources to reflect current usage of the word 'massasauga.' Views expressed in the examples do not represent the opinion of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.

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The first known use of massasauga was in 1835

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massasauga

noun

mas·sa·sau·ga | \ ˌmas-ə-ˈsȯg-ə

Medical Definition of massasauga

: a medium-sized rattlesnake of the genus Sistrurus (S. catenatus) that has nine large scales on the head, grows to a length of about 18 to 39 inches (46 to 100 centimeters), and is distributed from southern Ontario across the central United States to northeastern New Mexico and southeastern Arizona