I am commenting in regards…

I am commenting in regards to the government response statement pertaining to the recovery of the Massasauga rattlesnake population in south western Ontario (Carolinian). I believe it is important to sustain this population and increase it to a healthy size that is able to withstand natural and anthropocentric disturbances. These snakes, along with another rare species the fox snake are important predators in our local ecosystems that help control wild rodent populations.

Studies have found that timber rattlesnakes further south help control the spread and prevalence of lyme disease that is carried by ticks who infest small rodents. Through predation of rodents, the snakes also consume the ticks and reduce their numbers. With lyme disease cases on the rise in both Canada and North eastern America, and with ticks becoming a common occurrence locally (even at Ojibway park [with some deer dicks being discovered in recent years: that are known be harbourers of lyme disease]), I believe it is important to use every ecosystem resource at our disposal to fight the spread of lyme while at the same time maintaining a stable ecosystem with healthy numbers of top predators like the Massasauga.

I fully support all conservation efforts used in order to protect this species including habitat protection and defragmentation, captive breeding programs, and reducing road kills.