Since the beginning of April I have found two Eastern Massasauga rattlesnakes in my backyard. Over the past two years this would total six on my property. Three have been rather large in size and the others seem to be babies. I have taken pictures and looked online to make sure. I am a little worried about what to do because I read they are endangered and do want to harm them but at the same time do not want them near my home. What would be the smartest thing to do?

If the snakes are eastern massasauga then they are endangered and should be protected. This species is venomous, but the snakes are very secretive and should not pose a problem. If possible it would be good to report the snakes to the U.S. Fish & Wildlife Service at following site: http://www.fws.gov/Midwest/Chicago/emassasaugaspotlight.htm There are very few populations of this snake left in Illinois. Dr. Chris Phillips at the Illinois Natural History Survey should also be contacted. He is an expert on snakes and could provide you with suggestions on how to safely live with the snakes on your property. http://www.inhs.illinois.edu/~chrisp/home.html