It’s a unique sight — a threatened Eastern massasauga rattlesnake surrounded by her brood of offspring and out visible for all to see.
The rattlesnake named Gertrude, or Gertie, took shelter in the opening of a drainpipe earlier this summer and gave birth around late July or early August at the University of Michigan’s Matthaei Botanical Gardens, the Detroit Free Press previously reported.
Now, there’s additional video to share thanks to the team at the botanical gardens and Nichols Arboretum.
The video shows a slithering mass of babies and mom on a sunny day in the gardens in Ann Arbor Township.
Roughly 12 baby snakes were spotted, Steven Parrish, natural areas specialist for the gardens, Nichols Arboretum and two other properties, previously told the Free Press.
Michigan is the last stronghold for the threatened rattlesnake, which is the state’s only venomous snake, Parrish said, and the botanical gardens are committed to restoring and protecting their habitat.
In his more than a decade of work at the site, Parrish said he’s only ever seen two snakes together. That makes the swarm of family notable.
The gardens have signs to alert visitors and experts highlight that bites are fairly rare and that the snakes are mainly hoping people walk past them without the need to interact.
For more on Gertie the rattlesnake, the birth of her babies and the story of the threatened species, check out the Free Press’ original story on the discovery.
This article originally appeared on Detroit Free Press: Rare rattlesnake at University of Michigan’s Matthaei Botanical Gardens captured on video
Reporting by Darcie Moran, Detroit Free Press / Detroit Free Press
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