The Nature Conservancy has a great article about the efforts to protect and re-establish rattlesnakes in Massachusetts:The snakes are being bred in a zoo in Rhode Island. The plan is to create a timber-rattler sanctuary on Mt. Zion — an uninhabited 1,352-acre wilderness island in Quabbin Reservoir (Boston's water supply). The island is off limits to the public. It has a lush prey base and a large boulder field for hibernation. No other hibernaculum exists for miles.
There's an interesting page about Springfield Mountain here:The writer says that the song is about the 1791 Timothy Mirick. Mirick came from Wilbraham, Massachusetts, once known as Springfield Mountain. Wilbraham is a suburb of Springfield. Don't know if there are any rattlesnakes there now. Roger McGuinn has a page on the "Springfield Mountain" song here:Too rudy noo, too rudy nay Too rudy noo, too rudy nay-i-ay
-Joe-
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