Snakes Face Fungal Epidemic

There’s a deadly fungus spreading among snakes in the United States. But don’t cheer. As much as snakes might frighten us, they’re important players in the ecosystem, and we really don’t want to lose them.

In 2006, scientists discovered some odd skin infections among snakes in declining populations in New Hampshire. Soon after, fungal infections were found in massasauga rattlesnakes in Illinois, and the disease appeared to be bad enough that it might eradicate the species from the entire state.

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