The Midget Faded Rattlesnake is one of the most unique rattlesnakes found in temperate North America.  Although a member of the wide-ranging Western Rattlesnake species complex, this shy snake has many differences from its relatives: small adult size (less than 2 feet long), unique venom, year-round use of rocky outcrops as denning/birthing sites and a range restricted to the canyons and shrublands of the Colorado Plateau of Wyoming, Colorado and Utah.  It is especially suited to the unique geology of its range and likely could exist nowhere else in the world.   Except for a few national parks and monuments in Utah and Colorado, Midget Faded Rattlesnakes are unprotected from development throughout most of their range.  In the past 100 years, populations have likely been lost due to the creation of reservoirs that have flooded den habitat and the expansion of the road system that has led to direct mortality of migrating snakes.  Currently, snakes and their habitat are threatened by energy development (oil, gas and wind), grazing and further road development for both industry and recreation.  As a result, Midget Faded Rattlesnakes are listed as Species of Greatest Conservation Need in Wyoming and Colorado.  However, we know very little about the specific distribution and population status across most of their range.  For this sensitive species to continue to persist, we need to learn more about their populations and develop strategies to guide development that is compatible with Midget Faded Rattlesnakes.

The Orianne Society, in cooperation with the Wyoming Game and Fish Department and researchers at Idaho State University, Clayton State University and the University of Idaho, is currently conducting research to preserve this special snake.   Our current work is focused in Wyoming because these are the populations that have had the most intensive study and thus can provide a template for further conservation of Midget Faded Rattlensnakes.

Current Projects Include:

Predicting locations of denning and foraging areas

The first step to protecting Midget Faded Rattlesnakes is to identify important habitat areas.  Based on previous denning and foraging observations of these snakes in Wyoming, we have created models of important denning and foraging areas.  Our denning models have already identified 12 previously unknown denning sites in Wyoming. 

Conservation genetics of populations

We have collected tissue samples for genetic analysis across our Wyoming study populations.  Genetic data will allow us to estimate population sizes, detect areas with recent declines and identify important areas for population connectivity.  This information will not only provide us with needed basic information but also identify populations in need of protection and important areas for snake movement that should be protected from road development.

Work directly with local stakeholders to guide landscape management

We are currently participating in an initiative requested by the Wyoming governor’s office to develop overall management recommendations for an ecologically important area of southern Wyoming.  This initiative includes Wyoming Game and Fish, Bureau of Land Management, conservation groups, energy companies and grazing interests.  We are presenting data generated from this project to suggest areas that should be managed for rattlesnakes

We are also in the process of planning future projects to identify important habitat areas in Colorado and Utah (where little data is currently available) and developing population models to understand how populations will respond to different types of disturbance and therefore predict how well Midget Faded Rattlesnakes might persist in different management scenarios.