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Genotype Data for Eastern Massasauga Rattlesnakes (Sistrurus catenatus) from Bois Blanc Island, Michigan at 15 Microsatellite DNA Loci

Published by U.S. Geological Survey | Department of the Interior | Metadata Last Checked: January 27, 2026 | Last Modified: 2025-01-24T00:00:00Z
We investigated fine-scale genetic patterns of the federally threatened Eastern Massasauga Rattlesnake (Sistrurus catenatus) on a relatively undisturbed island in northern Michigan, USA. This species often persists in habitat islands throughout much of its distribution due to extensive habitat loss and distance-limited dispersal. These data are from 102 individual Eastern Massasauga Rattlesnakes sampled at Bois Blanc Island, Michigan and genotyped at 15 microsatellite loci. Samples were collected as part of a study to examine functional connectivity for the Eastern Massasauga. We found that the entire island population exhibited weak genetic structuring with spatially segregated variation in effective migration and genetic diversity.

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